A Well-Orchestrated Spiel

I just bought some magazines. Now, I don't really read magazines. However, what happened was this:

I arrived home from work and noticed my next-door neighbor talking to a young black gentleman in a suit. I thought: religious prosletyzer. We get them around here occasionally, and though I am, in fact, anti-religion, I don't have the heart to give them a hard time. It's nice to see people being sincere and doing something difficult even if I think they are a few fruit loops short of a bowl. Anyway.

Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure he saw me arrive, because no sooner do I sit down at my computer than there is a ring at the doorbell. I was obviously home, so I gave up and went to answer the door.

It turned out this young man was not spreading the word of his particular version of God, he was selling magazines. However, through a rather ingenious and ingratiating approach I didn't actually discover this fact until I'd engaged him in conversation for several minutes. He started out explaining that he was looking to get a new start in life teaching young people skills to succeed in selling door-to-door. Then he explained that he only needed a few more "points" in order to get an upgrade to said teaching position.

Then he invited me to fill out a form commenting on his presentation; only then did he explain that what he was really doing was selling magazines. Since I'm not very assertive in person (and he looked like a little lost puppy) I ended up buying some. Oh, well, in for a penny, in for a pound; I spend more money than that on books every month.

I figure this is my donation towards Getting Young People Into Capitalism, sort of like donating to NPR or PBS.