Actually not all about teaching

The phone rang, and the caller ID said "unknown." Uh oh. I picked up, expecting that pause in which I would quickly slam the phone back down, knowing long pauses are usually telemarketers (once in awhile they aren't, but for the greater good I take on the occasional risk of a puzzled friend to avoid the greater evil of unrelenting telemarketers).

There was no pause this time, but there was definitely "call center" noises in the background. Usually this is still okay, since they ask for Paul or Laura and I say they aren't home (which is true, since I almost never answer the phone when they're here).

But lo and behold, the woman did not ask for Paul and Laura. She said she was conducting a public opinion survey, and wondered if she could ask me a few questions.

HIP HIP HOOOORRRAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!!!!!!

I LOVE public opinion surveys! I gladly settled down in the office, blithely forgetting about the reading quiz I had been creating. She proceeded to ask me questions about whether I was liberal or conservative, what I thought the most pressing issue facing America today was, whether I worked for a newspaper (?), and whether I was favorable or unfavorable towards Bush. I answered these with firm conviction, and rising spirits (which were already pretty good following a great walk w/ Melissa).

Then she asked what I thought the most pressing issue facing RI was. Um, RI? (Is this the time where I confess I'm not even registered to vote here? Naaaaaa.) I said I didn't know. Then she asked me all these RI names, and whether I was favorable or unfavorable towards them. Luckily Melissa was in the room - I would quickly whisper the names to her and she would tell me whether they were good or not. They were mostly not. This is RI, after all.

But part way through the phone call, I realized that one of the names was running against another of the names in the Republican primary. Aha! Anyone running against Lincoln Chafee in the Republican primary HAS to be more conservative that he is! So I quickly began changing my tune, and answering my questions in a way that amounted to singing his praises.

She finished with: "If the Republican primary was held today, would you vote for Chafee or Laffey?"

"Laffey!" I responded with the conviction born of extensive study and wild-eyed activism, despite the fact that I'd never heard his name until about 3 minutes previous.

So now, all you readers who live in RI (yes, listen up all three of you!), vote for Laffey!

Throughout the conversation, I kept having this little niggling doubt in the back of my mind. What if I was answering all these questions about my political views and religious philosophies and such (yes, they know that I'm protestant and pro-life and conservative - they asked), and then was coming out in rabid support of some flaming liberal? That would throw some strange curves into their survey!

Rest easy, gentle readers. I looked him up on line and he is indeed more conservative than Chafee.

GO LAFFEY!

(PS. I still love teaching! And today one of my students actually brought me an apple! Hee hee hee)
(PPS. I've always loved apples - another indication that I'm in the right place.)