lip meet hook.
harvest coop, my local granola-hippie-crunch grocery store, allows all kind of commie liberal types to set up tables to solicit donations and volunteers. i suspect that the percentage of staff and clientele that voted for ralph nader is many times higher than the national average. being a trusting type in a trusting community, i never thought to question the origins of any of the organizations that set up tables there, week in and week out. most of the time, they just want you to write a personal note to state congressional representatives expressing your opinion regarding legislative matters.
one day in late january, a small, thin, middle-aged woman with a youthful face and a shock of thick, iron-tinged hair was manning a table alone. i stopped to determine what that day's 'issue' was, and she began talking. she had an intent gaze that practically demanded attention, so i stood quietly while she spoke of the missing safety net. her gaze was almost too intent, and i personally don't like to look strangers in the eye for long, so i broke eye contact and noticed the calendars. the artwork was beautiful, and it had that strident, old-school leftist style that i like, so i agreed to buy one.
when i met her gaze again, she said that what her organization really needed was people and asked if i would leave my name and number with her so she could call me about volunteer opportunities. she didn't tell me much about her organization. i wandered home, taking away a vague impression that it had something to do with labor rights. when i got home, i examined the calendar. on the back was a section that one could cut out and mail to the National Labor Federation to offer to become a volunteer in the effort to organize the wage slaves of america.
No comments:
Post a Comment