Cold Calling

As you know, I work in the nursery at our church, babysitting the two-year-olds for two hours each Sunday while their parents attend church meetings.  What many of you do not know is that I am also on the Relief Society committee.  This committee plans the monthly activities for the women in our church.

Lets just say, this isn't my favorite job in the world.  I was whining to Nate about it a few weeks ago and he told me that as soon as I start loving it, I'll be released (no longer on the committee).  I've never wanted to start loving something so much.

So, while I've been waiting to develop a love for this, I've had to help advertise for the different activities.  Tomorrow night, for example is a PJ night.  (I personally don't want to wear my pajamas out in public, but apparently it is a cool idea.)  I was asked to call 20 women to remind them about the activity.

I agonized about making the phone calls for a day and a half.  I have a love-hate relationship with the phone.  I love to talk to family and friends on the phone.  I hate calling people I don't know, trying to sell them on the idea of wearing pajamas in front of all their neighbors.

Yesterday I simply "forgot" to call.  It was actually quite honest forgetfulness.  I simply didn't remember.  Of course, I didn't do anything to help myself remember, either, like add it to my checklist of to-do items for after work.

Tonight I almost forgot again.  But I have this amazing guilt complex that brought the task to the forefront of my mind right as I finally sat down to relax after doing the evening chores.  Sometimes I think I should name my guilt complex, it plays such a major role in my life.  Tonight it kept saying to me, "If you don't call, you'll feel extremely guilty for the rest of the time you're on this committee.  You'll volunteer for jobs you don't want to do so that you can 'make up' for not making these phone calls."

Oh brother.

So I started down the list.  Mind you, I only knew 4 of the 20 people I had to call.  That's the problem with being in nursery.  I know the kids but not the parents.  Poor Nate had to hear me lament between each phone call, "Why are they all answering their phones?!  Why can't I just leave a message?!"

Three of the four women I knew on the list received my phone calls graciously and were quite pleasant.  The fourth woman I know didn't seem to know me.  The rest of the women...well, they responded like I would respond to a telemarketer.  Okay, maybe slightly better because they didn't say, "I'm not interested" and hang up.  But close to it.  There were long pauses after I told them who I was since they didn't want to commit to any sort of conversation.  After I told them about the activity, they said, "Uh huh.  Okay."  And that was that.

I can't say I blame them.  If someone I didn't know was calling me and telling me to wear my pajamas to church, I'd probably answer them the same way.  After each phone call I contemplated waiting until my lunch break tomorrow to make the calls, hoping to get answering machines.  But that lovely guilt complex would start to talk to me - "You're really not going to want to make those calls tomorrow-" and so I kept pushing on.  I finally made the last call.  It was the best of all:

Me:  "Hi.  I'm calling to remind you about enrichment tomorrow.
Her:  (tone of finality) "Okay, I appreciate the call."
Me: (Pause...waiting for her to hang up...but she didn't).  Um, okay, well you're welcome.
Her:  (Pause...waiting for me to actually give her any useful information, such as time and place).  Bye.
Me:  Bye.

So much for giving her the information she needed.  I just got too used to the telemarketer treatment and I was seriously expecting her to hang up at any moment.  Needless to say, I felt very stupid after that phone call.  But I would like to thank my guilt complex.  I don't have to make any calls tomorrow!