Answering the Call

For the past week and a half, I've been avoiding answering my home phone. There are about three specific people I don't want to talk to for various reasons, and since my cell phone has caller ID and an answering machine, I've just been letting the home phone ring. It's been ringing like mad all week, and each ring has made me feel like a horrible person.

This afternoon, I finally managed to clear my conscience with regard to those people whose calls I'd been avoiding. The instant I get off the phone with one of these people, the phone rings again. Assuming that that person is calling back to resume the conversation, I pick up the phone, with some trepidation. "Hello?"

"Mike Bloomberg asked me to call you with a single, quick question."

"Yeah?"

"Can he count on your vote in the mayoral election?"

"Maybe."

"Thanks. Goodbye."

While I don't feel any warm fuzzies about the "Mike Bloomberg asked me to call you" part, I do have a great deal of respect for the "single quick question" part that turned out to be true. This young operative indeed had one quick question, and he didn't extend his welcome, despite my stated ambivalence.

I wonder how many of the calls I've ignored have been from NYC political operatives.