Don't Hang Up!

The lyrics to Don't Hang Up by the Orions are stuck in my brain this afternoon. I spent several hours this sunny and chilly Sunday morning participating in a phonathon for the local branch of a worldwide non-profit agency. Of course, times are tough and none of us are rolling in excess cash. If someone answered the phone and said they were in need of taking a year off from contributing or needed to lower their pledge amount from last year, I was sympathetic and thanked them for their support. What I don't understand are responses like 'how dare you bother me for donations" or "I never support non-profits anymore" followed by a rude click and hangup.

My suspicion is that some of these folks might be covering up for the fact they are under-employed or unemployed. By being polite and talking for just a minute, they might have connected with me, someone who could potentially help them improve their situation. Like the Orions sang: Don't Hang Up!