A beautiful Sunday after noon not much unlike any other, but the heat is starting to wane a bit and it’s just a little nicer… relaxing <RING> <RING>! The phone never sounded so loud…. some of us with blurry eyes from a Sunday afternoon nap. The caller id reads “Enterprise” – we just rented a car because all three vehicles went down this month (that’s a story of it’s own) – maybe there was something with the car we returned so I answer.
“Hello?”
“Hello Sir. I just wanted to thank you for renting a car from Enterprise. Can I ask you a few questions about your rental?”
“Ah… no.” I replied.
“Excuse me?”
“No. It’s Sunday, the Sabbath and you’re interrupting time with my family.”
“Oh.”
“Besides, if I needed to rent a car from you today I couldn’t so why should you feel it’s ok to bother me on Sunday?”
(In retrospect he probably took that as encouragement to be open on Sunday, but I certainly did not intend that.)
“Oh, may I call you on a different day then?”
“Certainly not after bothering me on Sunday, good day.”
Yeah, pretty much went like that.
Not more than 30 minutes later the phone rings – it’s a residence, maybe someone in church I don’t know.
“Hello?”
“Hello – this is <woman’s name withheld> with the scout office (that is, from our local BSA council office). I was wondering if your pack would be participating in popcorn sales this year?”
This woman was in a hurry to spit out her spiel – I don’t think we really wanted to be on the phone on Sunday – but I think she was a bit more nervous to call me on Sunday. The council knows pretty well that I try my dead level best to honor the Sabbath.
“No, we will not be participating this year.”
Timidly she says, “Ok, thank you. Goodbye.” <click>
Will there be more? I certainly hope not, but we’ve only had two so far.