hello, i'm melissa, and i'm from....no wait, don't shut the door...

Yesterday was my observation day at the non-profit where I've been hoping to get a job.

Note: it wasn't until after I had filled out an application that I realized the job would entail me going door to door begging for contributions to their anti-hydrofracking campaign.

But, I figured some non-profit work would be helpful on a resume. And it would be a good learning experience. Surely some doors slammed in my face would help me get over my fear of rejection.

And you know what? The day wasn't so bad. I mean, for some people it would have absolutely sucked. But I often like things that other people think suck.

The best part was the characters.

For example, there were two other campaigners who were quintessential hipsters. I'm talking ninja-turtle t-shirts, beards, bacon band-aids, and coke bottle glasses. (While we we driving to our canvassing site, one of them pulled over the side of the road and peed right next to someone's house. His words: "Their effing cat kept staring at me.")

Then there was the other guy who was observing, like me. Poor kid was terrified and couldn't stay on topic. He wound up in an hour-long conversation with someone he was supposed to talk to for ninety seconds, couldn't finish his route, and then only got five bucks out of it.

And of course, there were the people I was asking for money. These interesting and varied individuals included:

--an old man with scary tight eyes and American flag hanging in his doorway who looked like he wanted to throttle me when I said the words "environmental and consumer advocacy"
--a woman who practices transcendental meditation who invited my trainer and I in for a steak dinner, then offered to adopt us (I declined. My trainer said, "if it involves steak.")
--a woman with a friendly, naked five year old and a baby named Spot.

After I had observed my trainer for a little while, he dropped me off in a neighborhood so I could practice on my own. And if I say so myself, I didn't do so badly: $65 in two hours.

Unfortunately, this job isn't going to work out, because it's so far away and I don't have my own car.

But it was definitely worth that one day.