Uncategorized 31 Dec 2007 03:07 pm
Free is free; a gift is a gift.
Paul Beard’s post about “free downloads” (they’re not) reminded me of my favorite story about my father. Once, I’m told, an encyclopedia salesman came to the door, promotional item in hand. (They roamed the earth with the dinosaurs.) My father answered, and the first thing the guy said was, “I have a free gift for you!” as he held out a book.
“Thank you!” said my father, and he took the book and closed the door. The salesman pounded on it, yelling. My father calmly took the opportunity to give the man an education about the words “free” and “gift”. The salesman quit yelling, but my father kept explaining rationally and relentlessly. He could explain at you until you wanted to gnaw off an arm to get free.
At last the salesman asked humbly, “May I have my book back? It’s my only copy.”
“Yes, you may,” my father said munificently, and he opened the door and gave back the book. The exhausted salesman thanked him and left.
I learned a few things from this, not least of which is to always keep a door between me and the other person if I try a stunt like that.
on 31 Dec 2007 at 3:33 pm 1.Rhonda said …
Oh, my. That’s wonderful.
My mother is also the type who can explain anything ad nauseam (as an extreme reaction to being raised by a “because I said so!” type of mother), so you have my sympathies in that regard.
But isn’t it great when that endless stream of explanation is turned on someone else? I bet that salesman found a new job, pronto. and/or warned his fellows away from your door.
on 31 Dec 2007 at 8:49 pm 2.Cam Sculpin said …
Hee. I also can explain things ad nauseam, probably as a reaction to seeing how blazingly well that worked for him. This made me a bad target for that particular maneuver, because by the time I was 10 I could discuss right back at him ex tempore in the verbal equivalent of a 24-page whitepaper. No way was I going to let that guy see me crack.
His ability to explain exhaustively and in excruciatingly finely-reasoned detail was actually one of my father’s finer qualities.