I've made 47 cents so far this year. Not too bad. Eleven months to go. This year, though, I'm keeping track.
Nope, I haven't gone back to work. Even for those on minimum wage, that would be pretty pathetic.
All I've done is open mail. Money, a few cents at a time, is sometimes included in solicitation for more.
Is this happening to you? If you make contributions through the mail, two things are likely: First, your name will be put on lists of other charitable organizations and you'll hear from them; and second, some of them will put change in their solicitations.
Why? To engender guilt, of course. We gave you money, free of charge. Now, give us some back. And please, include this change in your contribution so we know that you're saving us the money we gave you.
It's put on with that gummy, sticky stuff so it doesn't move around in the envelope. You're supposed to use the very form that includes that small change, put a check in the mail with it, and of course, get another one in a few weeks to keep doing the same thing.
Is sending people money a gesture of desperation, or just a reminder of what they're supposed to do? You'd think the latter, since if they were desperate, why would they send money--which they're doing to thousands of us--if they actually needed more, much more, of it?
It's starting to be the template upon which I'm responding: If you send money, I'll send you some back. They want the change they're sending you, too, but I'm not biting at that. I didn't ask for the money, so I have no problem with pocketing it. It's not like I'll have to start an off-shore account in the Bahamas or anything.
Is this the price of a big heart--an endless supply of daily solicitations? Their literature is gut-wrenching, as you might expect. So they get to you that way, too. But this is also how people, especially senior people, get hoodwinked by shysters, and how the money can go to despicable sources. These sources may, in fact, be trustworthy, but it's the same mentality.
Some of these folks make really good use of the money they get, and some spend way too much of it on administrative costs. I'm sure you can look some of this up, but that won't stop stuff from getting sent.
The charitable organizations are often closely linked. Most can be generally categorized. Some have to do with:
- getting food to starving kids: it's just a matter of where they are;
- helping animals: it's just a matter of which ones and what services they might perform already;
- scientific research: it's just a matter of which disease is being addressed; and
- patriotic themes: it's just a matter of whether they're historical or present-day.
I've lost count as to how many there are that get sent to me in a month, or even a week; I should keep track of that, too, and report back. My mail is overwhelmed with them, especially at holiday time when people want to remind you of connecting celebration with not forgetting who allowed you to celebrate, or not to forget that there are others who can't celebrate when their unending priority is just to find a roof over their heads or food for their bellies.
And by now, I've given up on trying to get these people off my back. There are too many of them. I'm swamped. All I now do is triage and take most of the envelopes and transfer them, unopened, into the converted grocery bags that are now recycling bins. The thicker ones, I know, have notepads. Those trying for the big catch send calendars. I've asked for none of them.
This is horribly sad, in a way. It is another comment about income maldistribution. To consider this, it must be getting far worse. I used to get, maybe, ten of these a week. Now ten in a day isn't all that rare.
47 cents in January is a start. My goal? Well, Burger King is advertising two of its sandwiches for six bucks. Could I possibly get enough through the mail to treat myself by year's end? This, remember, is a slow season. Things could ramp up in a hurry.
Be well. Be careful. Get a booster shot. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.
Mister Mark
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