I run away from uncomfortable situations. I may be a coward. The truth is that I have always fled from conflict, even if I am only a witness to it. Arguments make me nervous to the point of physically shaking and crying.

But what I ran away from today, and the time was coming, was a tobacconist’s, where they also sell stamps and travel passes, among other things. Yes. Because when I saw a woman promoting a brand of tobacco through the glass, I got sweaty, had palpitations and felt a tremendous disgust. These promoters can be rather aggressive in their sales pitch, or let’s say pushy. Which is why I made such a terrible promoter in my late teens. I worked for a temp agency and was virtually incapable of achieving any sales commissions as I felt so uncomfortable pushing sales. So, these salespeople make me want to talk back to them, yell at them, and then (in my imagination) smack them in the face. LEAVE ME ALONE! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO ASK ME SO MANY QUESTIONS WHEN IT IS CLEAR THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CONVINCE ME? DID I ASK YOU FOR THIS?

And the same thing happens on the phone. How much are you paying for your service? No. Don’t ask me. Tell me your offer and that’s it. I’ll be able to decide for myself. And if I say I’m not interested, don’t ask me why. Accept it, thank me for my time and HANG UP. I’m not capable of hanging up on anyone. I’m one of those you hang up first, no, you, you haven’t hung up! people and when the other person hangs up I find myself sobbing two hours later, going over the entire conversation and wondering what I said to make them hang up on me. Just as it is very difficult for me to cut off a person who is trying to kill me, I mean, sell me tobacco. I suppose at the end of the day they are trying to do their job. And we cannot ignore the fact that jobs are scarce. It’s not the workers’ fault, it’s their bosses. It’s the multinationals. But when they insist and insist it makes me want to tell them exactly what I think. As a friend did. Tired of putting up with the usual calls, he began to tell a story that would make anyone raise an eyebrow, but the salesperson didn’t hang up. That person must have been very nice, because the story was about working in a funeral home, that he couldn’t speak because he had to load the hearse, and that he had a funeral in five minutes. You see. From time to time they annoy us so much that we want to give them a little pause.

Advertising is part of our world and not least on television, as long as you don’t live in England and have the honour of enjoying the BBC (if you want to pay a license just to own a television, that is). But at least you have the possibility of turning off the TV ads, unless you have a penchant for watching the shopping channel for hours when you can’t sleep. However, the sexist, racist, ageist and so forth, stereotypes that parade across the screen continue to drive me crazy. I understand that each product seeks its audience, but why do they treat us like idiots? Is it because we are? Unfortunately that’s possible.

The truth is that the anger that sometimes arises from insistence can happen even between friends. Should you insist or not? Will you offend the person or not? Will they smack you in the face for being so full-on or not? Why do we insist? Because we are self-interested. Longing for validation. And that makes us just as bad as those who try to convince us of something that does not suit us. I want to, so you should too, and if you don’t, you’re stupid. Full stop. No further discussion.

Conclusion. Don’t try to sell me something I don’t want, don’t underestimate me and please don’t treat me like a naive person who is going to believe all the stereotypes you present in your fanatical desire to sell. I may be an easy target, but I’m not going to fall for it. No. I’m not going to do it. Never. Unless you make me an irresistible offer. Even so. I’m strong.

But maybe it’s time for me to change phone company…

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Episode Twenty-Four: Interview: The Weather; Family and Friends