A Stranger Called Today

My days of making new year's resolutions are long gone, or so I thought. After all, how many times can you try eating less and exercising more? What does the new year have to do with it anyhow? For the smokers, drinkers and others with such habits, same issues, different addictions. Then there are other types of resolutions, clearing clutter, getting out of debt/saving, having more fun, learning to make macarons and so on.

I didn't make my resolution on new year's day. I didn't make one until today. Although I've thought of this in the past, I've decided to make a conscious decision and a deliberate effort. After all, I believe that most of what we do in life, most of our behaviors, wise or unwise are conscious decisions. We choose whether we want to obey laws, be kind to one another, get tattoos (ugh), be jokesters, dye our hair purple (yet to come), be upbeat, be a jerk or use foul (not fowl) language.

This morning, hubby brought me the phone and told me it was a man named (insert random unknown name here) wanting to talk to me. Since I didn't recognize the name or very odd looking number, I spoke into the phone in an abrupt manner. "Who are you?"

Imagine my surprise when the gentleman on the other line, was not a telemarketer as I had feared. He was in fact, a person renting the house of someone I know. He was calling from Florida to suggest that I save my Christmas card and postage money in future. The owners were no longer there. He told me he had passed along last year's card, but that the snowbirds had now decided to remain in Canada because of health concerns. I thanked him and wished him a happy new year although he seemed to want to continue chatting. We exchanged tidbits of info and I made certain that my voice was much more congenial.

Upon further consideration, I realized what a thoughtful thing this man did. I wondered whether the phone call cost more than the postage I'd spent or whether he was on some kind of plan. I also thought about the amount of courage some people (me) would need to make such a call and I appreciated it even more.

So what is my resolution? Since I'm already trying my best not to turn into a grumpy old woMAN, I guess I am going to try to be more tolerant and upbeat with telephone strangers and not assume that they're all trying to sell something. I'm already nice to service people since I'm aware that my issues are not their fault. But now I realize that we never know who might be at the other end of the telephone line.

Oops....the phone is ringing, I'll test my new strategy now since I don't recognize the number.

"BALONEY! I HAVE NOT WON A FREE CRUISE TO THE BAHAMAS!"  Click. I guess I'd better begin my new year's resolution with the next caller.