A couple of days ago I was on my way to work in the train, a stranger approached me and said hello. He was a young white guy, wearing shirt and slacks with a tie. He introduced himself, but I forgot his name. He said he's a volunteer for a church. Usually if someone like him approach me while I'm walking on the streets, I'd dodge it by saying I'm rushing to somewhere and I haven't got the time (it's usually the truth, but sometimes I do lie). Today I was standing in the train, there wasn't really anywhere I could go to, obviously I couldn't say I was rushing to anywhere.
He tried to create small conversations, asking me where I'm from yadda yadda. To be polite, I responded and I kept the conversation going until he got his motive across. It's nothing really, he only wanted to get people to join the church he volunteers for. He wasn't pushy, all he did was ask me if I'd be interested to drop by the church one day. I said "No" as politely as I could, because that's a fact and I don't think it's necessary to beat around the bush and tell lies.
And then the train reached a station and people walked pass in between us trying to get down to the station and this man in his 40s in office attire, walked pass us and told him "She's not interested" and gave the young man the 'quit-it' face.
Really? Did he really have to do that?
Why are people so rejective so quickly these days? It's true, I wasn't interested, but I don't think telling that in the young guy's face is necessary. He's only trying his best to accomplish what he had to, and he's there to do what he believed was good. He wasn't trying to get me to buy something, he wasn't even trying to get me to fork out a cent. He was only trying to interest me into visiting the church, and most importantly he was being really polite in doing so.
The point of this post is, give others the opportunity to be heard, and no need to be rude if you're not interested. I'm sure at one point of your life you wanted to be heard too. Job interviews, sales, friends, family. I'm sure you're not a listener your entire life. As long as the person is not bothering, annoying or irritating you, as long as you have the time, why not give him a chance? I feel sorry for him because I know exactly how it feels to want to be heard, and be shut off like that.
There are ways to reject an offer and I believe in the phrase "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". It's a biblical statement and I am 100% not religious at all but I truly agree with it. If you wouldn't want to be rudely rejected, don't do that to others. Treat people the way you want to be treated, simple as that.
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I've been approached by quite a few Caucasian missionaries around Melb in the past, I used to pretend not to be able to understand them, but then they started speaking in Vietnamese to me and I'd said no, I speak Chinese, only to be surprised when they started speaking Chinese to me well, haha.
I told them afterwards, that I'm an atheist, but they persisted to sway me to attend one of their meetings. I just turned them down as politely as I could.
Maybe the 40-yr old looking man thought he was just doing you a favour by being assertive with the guy on your behalf.
Hrm thinking back, perhaps that was his intention.
I tend to take things too personally, the Caucasian missionary probably has experienced it too many times that it doesn't affect him anymore.
I guess I need to be less emotional and not take things to my mind and heart!
Thanks for the opinion Fei :)
Haha no worries Ee Von, just wanted to share my 2 cents. By the way, hope this doesn't sound too creepy, but I really like reading your blog posts and ramblings, especially those regarding your bakes :)
Not creepy at all! Glad that I've still got a reader hahah. Thanks for leaving a lovely comment Fei! :) I'll try to update more often!
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