5 Things I Learned Being A Pamphlet Distributor For A Day

Yes, I was one of THOSE people you strictly avoid eye contact with and ignore.

My dad needed help advertising his English classes. I'm not Katniss, I didn't volunteer. Nevertheless, I went, because that's the kind of daughter I am. (Cue: "awwww") But I didn't want to go. I didn't want to be THAT person. I mean, if I had a unicorn onesie and a mask on, it might have gone a teensy bit better. I didn't have a unicorn onesie and a mask on though.

These are the things I learned:

1. People will go through a great deal to pretend they didn't see me.

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Look through their purse, start a deep conversation with a peer, glance at their phone. I saw one person not even bother to turn on her phone when "looking" at it.

"Sorry, I was so busy that I had to ignore you!"

2. Being ignored is humiliating.

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I didn't want to be there. I was already uncomfortable. You saw my strained smile, my barely audible "Good afternoon." But lets make it worse! Lets ignore her so everyone around her sees her look of utter humiliation!

3. If someone accidentally makes eye contact with me, they feel like they have the moral obligation to get a pamphlet.

They tried to ignore me, ignore my eyes piercing into them (not really), but they faltered. They made eye contact with me.

"Well, I can't be rude! I have to take it. Ugh, if I just hadn't made eye contact, I could have ignored her! That's not rude at all!"

4. It felt better to get a simple "No, thank you" than someone actually taking a pamphlet.

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Seriously, after an hour of getting ignored, a "No, thank you" was music to my ears.

5. Never again.

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Sorry dad.

Does this mean I will forevermore take all pamphlets offered to me? Nope. Will I still ignore some pamphlet distributors? If I'm honest, probably. But now I know how it feels. Guys, lets have some manners. A "No, thanks" will suffice.