A Pleasant Surprise in the Field

When my fellow canvassers hear that I’ve been knocking on doors for Clean Water Action for 4 years, they often say, “so nothing catches you by surprise.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Last night, we were working one of those chilly, drizzly shifts where the materials on your clipboard are soggy and people are reluctant to stand out on the steps and talk about the environment. At about 7:30 a very nice man invited me inside for a pleasant conversation about our priority pieces of legislation: mercury recycling and cesspool phase-out. His 9-year-old daughter was standing nearby intently watching our discussion. Dad was eager to sign up as a member, but couldn’t donate because he’d been out of work for 6 months. He laughed ruefully and said he had been practicing his interview skills with his daughter. I said I understood, but he could still do something just as important  by writing a letter to his state senator. While he did it, I chatted with the girl about school, pets and (major upset) I guessed her age correctly. I thanked dad for taking the time to write and told her to give him an extra hug for helping me out. As I stepped back out into the rain I heard the girl say: “I’d hire him dad.” First time I aced an interview with a middle schooler.