The Red Kettle of Guilt

Ok, I feel guilty.  All the time, come to think of it.

This is the time of the year when the Salvation Army people are right there in front of every single store.  I was doing some online shopping this morning, and a Salvation Army lady and her kettle materialized right beside my computer desk, for heaven's sake.

I toss a few bucks into the kettles from time to time, but it would simply be way too costly to attempt to give them money every time you pass them.  I spent some time with my calculator and realized that if I donated $1 every time I passed a kettle during the holiday season, it would cost me $77,438 in December alone.

So, much of the time I have to walk past the Salvation Army people without making a donation, and I always feel like a cretin when I do that.

They give you those big, puppy dog eyes (sometimes in the form of an actual puppy), and they'll ring those bells right at you as if to say, "Sure.  I'm sitting here in -58 degree weather, getting repetitive stress syndrome from ringing this damn bell, as we attempt to help people at this blessed time of the year.  Feel free to walk right by me.  I can see that you're doing your best to avoid eye contact, you cretin."

I wonder if we have an extra $77,438 around here somewhere.