Volutrapped

I get a phone call from a Clinton campaign person.  I've been doing some volunteering and  I get three thousand emails a day wanting me to volunteer more - I went in a phone banked on Sunday and I agreed to come back on Thursday and so I thought I was pretty much done with being asked.

Not so fast.

The girl said I was on her list and I was one of "her" volunteers.  Tough luck for her, I am a free agent. I am my own volunteer and to that end I volunteer when I want and where I want and doing what I want :I make calls, period.

I do not canvas. Period. End stop.

I'm pretty sure I do not want to register voters ( it's more complicated than it looks and I am not a detail person, also paper work? No thank you)  I know what I enjoy doing and if I am going to do something boring and thankless, I would rather play to my strengths - which include showing up on time with my phone and a charger and spending the next couple of hours cold calling seventy or so numbers that have been disconnected because no one has landlines anymore, but I do so with a smile and the handful of people who still do have a landline or gave their cell number, I will make sure they are going to vote blue and I will ask if they want to volunteer.

Don't fuck with me. Just let me do what I do, pretty much when I want to do it., don't pressure me or make me feel voluntold. I resent it.

Anyway. I told the girl on the phone, who sounds bossy - that,  I already had been making calls at the HQ and I would be making calls at the HQ on Thursday. She said "Who are you working with?", she had a tone,  I was like "Working with? I don't know! There was a guy there! He had a very nice dog, she said "Nic", "Oh, Yes. Nic! His name was Nic.", She was all "Well, if you already have a relationship with him "... I took a beat here because I was going to say something rude. "No, we don't have a relationship. It's where I went and he was there, he gave me the list." I liked the office downtown better because it was closer to my house".

The new HQ, while further away then I would have chosen for myself,  has better parking and shares that parking lot with a Sonic. I bring my phone and my charger and they give me a pile of paper and somewhere to sit.

"Oh". She said "I'm even further away, in Garner" (too far away, no relationship for you, bye!) But, we should meet. How about Thursday at 4pm" "Um." I said "I have a job, I work until then, and then I am doing phones at the other place at 7pm, I have things to do as well. But sure". Because I am stoopid. Jeebus. There are other days! Friday? Maybe next week? Dumb ass!

She wanted to meet at a coffee shop at 5pm, I gave her one near me, so on Thursday my evening is completely shot, no dog walk as planned, no dinner as scheduled, no time to unwind. Super, can't wait. I don't care whose list I'm on, I'm feeling voluntold already.