It Makes Cents

(Once a year for a few years now, I have gone door-to-door collecting for a well-known international charity organisation. Every year, I’m given the same area to do, so I see the same houses every year. One house that always sticks out is this rickety old one that absolutely stinks of cigarettes and animal droppings. It’s home to a very old lady who makes the same bad joke every year.)

Me: “Good morning. I’m collecting for [Charity Organization].”

Woman: “Let me get my purse.”

(She left me alone for a few minutes before returning with her purse. Then she fished around in it and pulled out a single 10c coin and dropped it in my bag. She then paused to wait for a reaction, before laughing and pulling out a more substantial amount of money and dropping it in my bag. Part of me finds it a little annoying that she does the same thing every single year, but I don’t really mind. It’s a boring job, going door-to-door, and the constant rejection I receive can be a little soul-crushing at times, so I enjoy it when she tries to make me laugh, even if it is with the same bad joke year after year. It’s reached the point now where I actually look forward to knocking on her door. Thanks, random lady, if not for making me smile, then at least for breaking up the monotony of it all.)