The older I get, the more my brain is overloaded with disparate events and ideas. This column reflects that. Drat! I just answered the phone, and a syrupy-voiced stranger said, “And how are you today Mrs. Clarke?” “Who are you?” “This is Jerome Jerkin calling.” “Why are you calling me?” I asked in my chilliest voice. He was selling burglar alarms.
This may seem antisocial and curmudgeonly, but I know good and well that strangers like Jerome Jerkin have absolutely no concern about my wellbeing. Their question is a sales technique designed to initiate rapport. If they can get you to answer one question, they have a foot in the telephonic door.
A representative of the national political party in whose primary I usually vote started calling once a week — always when I was taking a snooze. “This is a courtesy call from your xxxxxx National Committee.” Pleas for him to remove us from the list were futile until I said, “Your call is not courteous, and I am going to report you to the telephone company for harassment the next time you call.”
Bill is a much more patient with salespeople. After all, he earned college money by selling cemetery lots door to door. One day I heard him saying, “I’m just fine. How are you? How’s your wife? How are your children . . . your grandparents . . . your brothers and sisters . . . ?” Unable to get a word in edgewise, the caller finally hung up on him in frustration.
We are registered on do not call lists, but they still call. I hate the robotic calls. One of them comes once or twice a week. It begins, “Now, there is nothing wrong with your credit card account . . . “ Argh! My nephew, John Jones, told me to try this: Go to the website Nomorobo.com and follow the simple direction. There‘s no charge. If you don’t have a computer, get a friend or relative to help you.
Oh, oh, oh! This is a time of glorious sunrises and sunsets. I must stop writing and watch this morning’s sky painting of lavender, purple and salmon that the master colorist, the sun, is displaying on its cloud canvas. Night before last, the sunset was unusual. A layer of black clouds was interspersed with a wide golden band. The sun was actually below the horizon, but somehow it focused only on the a tree in our neighbor’s yard and turned it to gold.
Each sunrise and sunset is unique. There will never be another dawning like the one that I just witnessed. Sunrise watching transports me into a realm of quietude and tranquility at the beginning of my day. Try it some time! It is the best stress reliever in the universe and costs nothing but a few minutes of your time. A few weeks ago, Eric Cox, the publisher of the “Knightstown Banner,” wrote about the mild winter and early spring and wondered if the seasonal change could be a result of climate change. He wrote, “What worries me is how warm will winters get before we realize that something is out of whack?” I agree. I don’t know if climate change is part of a natural cycle or if humans can halt it, but I’ve read enough to believe that it’s happening.
And the sound of the lawn mower shall be heard throughout the land! As Eric pointed out, people began mowing their lawns in March. I don’t remember it ever starting that early. Eric wonders if perhaps we’ll end up with only two seasons. More summer weather would mean more fishing. However, he writes, “I can’t think of a single warm weather pleasure that beats a beautiful blanket of white frost on a field of soybeans, or a crystal-clear night sky brought on by freezing temperatures and low humidity.” Amen to that! In my case, it’s the view from our big window. P.S. Vicki’s wrens are back! wclarke@comcast.net