Why I’m A Telemarketer (I Think)

-

Get comfortable, this is a long one by MY standards.

I’d certainly never planned to be a telemarketer. It wasn’t like I’d climbed up on my mama’s knee with my toy telephone when I was a tiny tyke, raised the receiver in the air like a Roman short sword and, looking far into the future, shouted "Veni, vidi, vici!" No, in fact, I never used to care much for telemarketers, though I tried to be polite but firm with them. Unfortunately, it seemed like they only called at the most inopportune times, so that wasn't always easy. I always swore that I’D never have a job where I had to pester people on the telephone!

Now, I was raised by Christian parents who were descended from generations of Christian ancestors, so my family was a tolerably decent bunch. Each of us had our quirks and a few had more than their share, but I guess we “averaged out” morally acceptable in a worldly sort of way. I grew up with plenty of food, plenty of love, a reasonably good roof over my head (considering that it was built in 1865) and plenty of clothes (even if some WERE hand-me-downs). I never missed one meal in my life due to lack of available food, I was never cold for any length of time (unless I’d done something really stupid like forgetting my coat) and though I got a lot of spankings (fewer than I deserved), I never got one beating in my life.

I grew up on a farm, fished and hunted pretty much when I wanted to, got my own horse when I was 14 and, at age 15, kissed the girl that I believe now that the Lord wanted me to marry. Unfortunately, I wasn’t much “into” the Lord at that age and broke up with her when I was 16. I continued to do a lot of hunting, fishing and camping over the next few years. At age 21, I married the girl I’d been fornicating with for nearly three years and stayed married to her for almost five years. She could be counted on to be “true blue” faithful when she was sober, but needed chaperoning when she wasn’t. She left because I didn’t make enough money to suit her. Four months after the divorce was final, I finally landed a decent job driving truck. It paid well enough that she would probably have stayed if I’d gotten it sooner. That may have been the first time I realized that maybe someone was looking after me.

Some guys turn to booze and broads after a divorce, but I saw how they just went from bad to worse, so I decided that THIS guy wasn’t going that route. I started reading my Bible a whole lot more, sometimes to prove that others weren’t what they were supposed to be, rather than to seek guidance for my own hell-bound soul. Still, I was reading the right book, at least. I started praying that God would send me a Christian woman and, despite the “fact” that He isn’t supposed to answer the prayers of heathens, He did MINE! We married four months after we met and I was saved four months later. She turned out to be nearly impossible to live with, but she’s true blue ALL the time, and she never gets “un-sober.” Our lives have been full of ups and downs over the years, but we’ve always had at least “just enough” of everything and, often-times, even enough to help others. Most of that time, we were faithful church attendees.

After the factory where I worked sent most of their jobs to China and the rest to Pennsylvania, I drew unemployment long enough to get associate degrees in Information Technology and Accounting. Those degrees never helped me find a job here in West Virginia, but if not for things I learned from “the guru,” who taught the IT classes there at the college, this blog probably wouldn’t even exist. I kept putting off applying at the telemarketing places due to pride and supposed scruples. Unfortunately, pride doesn’t put food on the table, so I finally applied and was accepted at one telemarketing company.

Since that time, I’ve heard stories that would bring tears to the eyes of a bronze statue. One of the first was the pregnant girl who worked there and resided with a different friend each night on a rotating basis, so she wouldn’t wear out her welcome, since she had no place to call home. Then there was the kid who had adult ADD and couldn’t keep a job or a girlfriend. All he wants is to be normal, but will be forever denied that chance. The sad thing is—he knows it. Add to that, all the stories of child abuse, of living on the streets, of going hungry, and of cheating girlfriends, boyfriends and spouses. I watch them come to work hungry, but I can’t feed them all. I watch them lose their jobs, sometimes deservedly, and sometimes not, but I have no work for them. I see them loose their apartments, but I have no extra room to lend them. And, while it’s easy to blame the company and the bosses for some of the problems, and wonder how they live with themselves, I’ve also learned that the last time there was a big lay-off, the boss-lady was red-faced and teary-eyed for days. As much as I hate my job, I wouldn’t want HERS!

During my nearly three years in this place, I’ve finally come to see just how wonderfully BLESSED my life has been. I’ve also come to realize just how blind I’ve been over the years to the problems of others. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; I was very generous with charities that helped such folks. However, I was blind to much of the need around me, and certainly took for granted the life that the Lord had allowed me to have. That’s not true anymore. I know all too well the heartbreak and the hunger that surrounds me. I know that I have been foolishly, sinfully blind to the blessing the Lord has given me from birth. And I know that only one or two catastrophes could put me where they are now.

The guy at work called “the sandwich man” brings 3-4 extra sandwiches a day to give those who have no lunch otherwise. With that angle mostly covered and with the end times perhaps knocking on our very doors, the eternal souls of those folks was what came to MY mind. I’ve been blessed spiritually just as I’ve been blessed otherwise. I want to share that with them in some way that they won’t see as pushy. So, a friend of a friend gets me little New Testaments, and a couple times a year, I pass them out to anyone who’ll accept one. I think passing out testaments and getting my eyes opened is why God put me there in that awful place. I had a meal of crow when I took such a job. I still want out as soon as possible. However, it IS a job and I have yet to find another one. Things are looking pretty shaky for me there, but I know that as long as there are still folks the Lord wants me to give testaments to, or as long as there are still spiritual things for me learn there, I’ll continue to be a telemarketer. © 2012

-