There are many types of solicitors going door to door for many worthy causes. It is a thankless job that requires one to keep a positive outlook. Doors are slammed in their faces. They are chastised for being annoying. And sometimes, they become the mark of a very naughty little girl.
"Excuse me, sweetie. May I have a moment to speak with your parents?" When my daughter is being naughty, I can see this in her eyes. She has many well rehearsed plays for nearly every type of door to door solicitor. "Sir, may I tell my father your business?"
This particular solicitor was a political volunteer for someone running for state legislature. My daughter peered out the door over the gentleman's shoulder. She inquired if the person running for office had joined him. The nice gentleman informed my daughter that he was only a representative of the person running for office. My daughter smiled and shook the man's hand stating that she was a representative of her father.
The visitor chuckled asking you she was old enough to vote. She stated her father was concerned for the needs of young people and issues related to education. If the volunteer could win her vote a father would certainly follow. However, if a person running for office cared little to hear the voice of young people how could he be trusted to represent them in office? The volunteers agreed.
He spent the next 10 minutes discussing the values of young people with my daughter. She shook the man's hand again informing him he had won her vote. She would convince her father to back him in the upcoming election.
My daughter returned to the living room and sat down on the couch beside me to watch the game. I inquired who was at the door. She shrugged her shoulders and said it was just some political volunteer seeking our vote or something. We did not discuss the visit further. Weeks later we received an invite in the mail.
The invite was hidden among the junk mail and my daughter nearly tossed it in the trash. I saw the invite had her name on it. My daughter had been invited to attend a campaign rally for the soon to be governor, Haley Barbour. I asked my daughter what this was all about. She shrugged her shoulders.
Inside the envelope was a plastic card listing my daughter as a special guest. The following weekend we attended the rally. My daughter showed her card to the man at the door who led us to our seats near the front.
The governor elect came to the stage to an applauding crowd. He began a speech about the values of young people and how important education was to the state. He praised the young people of Mississippi for taking an active interest in state government. He shared a story about a 13 year old girl who is deeply concerned about the future of education in her state. I turned to look at my daughter sitting beside me. Each of the governor's talking points coincided with my daughter's routine to harass door to door political volunteers. My daughter kept her eyes forward and nervously fidgeted in her seat.
Mr. Haley Barbour called my daughter to the stage. With his arm around her shoulder he promised the young people of Mississippi would not be left behind. My daughter smiled brightly for the crowd and waved her hand beside the governor elect.
The political volunteer who had come to our door spoke to us after the rally. He thanked my daughter for accepting the invitation and being so kind upon their last meeting. He mentioned my daughter should consider becoming a political volunteer when she is older. I informed him it would be a long time before she was allowed to answer the door again. He laughed and smiled knowingly at my daughter. "Yes, I suspect it will."
Previously Posted on FullofKnowlege.com
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