While shopping recently, I put money in the red kettle outside a store. The bell ringer said Merry Christmas at me as I passed. At the next store, I did not contribute since I already had, and when I walked past the bell ringer he shouted “Merry Christmas Sir” but it seemed to have a different meaning and was a little louder. Everyone looked at me as if to suggest I was a cheap person who did not even care about the disadvantaged.
I then decided I needed a plan if I was going to finish my shopping with dignity. I made sure at each store, I had some change available to drop in the kettle as I left, when a bell ringer was there. I was thinking to myself that next year I will decide what I am going to contribute and will make sure it is in my pocket before I go out shopping. This way I can drop some change at each store that has a kettle and avoid the walk of shame.
I read that these folks go through training to be a bell ringer. It seemed it may have been offered by the same people that train drive through window people who start out your visit with them trying to get you to buy the newest combo on the menu. I think they call it “suggestive selling”. Not that the bell ringers try to strong arm you, but in this case, it seemed the bell ringer had a way of making me feel embarrassed simply by saying Merry Christmas in a certain way because I passed him without dropping any coins.
On the way home, I started thinking this year probably is a good time to kick in a little extra at the kettle or on line at salvationarmyusa.org because if you are reading this you are most likely a lot more fortunate than the people they are helping. And when you donate to an established charity rather than to a panhandler on the street corner, you have the satisfaction of knowing the money is not going for booze or drugs and will help people who are actually making an effort to turn their life around.
