Suckered in… and okay with it

A couple of days ago my doorbell rang, and standing on my front porch was a sweet little boy scout in full boy scout attire.  This little guy was only made cuter by the fact that he couldn’t pronounce his ‘R’s correctly.  He was going door to door, selling “Boy Scouts of America Popcorn”, and while my initial reaction (silently, of course) was to think “Don’t you guys have Thin Mints??” I remembered back to my childhood… 

I can vividly remember every year of elementary school going door to door in our neighborhood trying to sell whatever cheap-o junk the school gave us to sell in hopes that I’d raise the most money and win the big prize at the end.  I remember thinking how nice the people were who would actually buy something from me, and how much I disliked the people who turned me down – or worse, wouldn’t even come to the door.  I also vividly remember how mad I’d get at the kids who cheated and let their parents take their catalogs to work with them to sell to their co-workers.  They’d always sell the most and win the prize that they hadn’t even worked for, while I’d walked door to door in the sweltering Texas heat for miles and miles.  (Cue dramatic music.)

I remember making a promise to my little first grade self back then.  I promised that when I grew up, if a child came to my door selling something - anything, I’d always buy from them.  I’ve stood in their shoes, and they deserve to be encouraged for their hard work!  And now that we’re in our first house, it’s time for me to make good on that promise. 

And that, my friends, is how I paid $20 for popcorn.