I didn’t mean to be rude but I don’t expect Pledge Week to knock on my door and stand on my porch after I have shut the door in her face.

I wasn’t even aware that Public TV went door to door to solicit pledges but apparently they do.

And it’s a little annoying.

I usually lock my porch door because I don’t want solicitors/beggars on my porch. I forgot to lock it yesterday and heard the familiar creak of my storm door last night as I was trying to get dinner on the table and help with homework.

When the door creaks the dogs start to bark and charge the door so I was holding them back with my feet when I opened the door a crack to see what she wanted.

“Do you watch Public Television?” she asked.

“No,” I said as I tried to shut the door.

“Wait,” she shouted. “Do you appreciate Public Television?”

We were in Jehovah Witness territory now. I try to be polite but if I answer their first question in the negative that doesn’t mean I want to be convinced or converted to their way of thinking. It means I want to be left alone.

“No, I don’t appreciate Public Television, and in fact I’m just about to turn on Fox News, or Faux News to you.” I said as I continued to hold back two large dogs so they didn’t start jumping all over her and smelling her crotch without invitation.

“Listen, it’s dinner time and I don’t have the time for this. I don’t have any cash and I’m not going to pledge PBS right now. I have enough going on right now and I don’t need any added guilt!” I said getting ready to let go of the dogs and just letting them handle the situation.

She continued to try to talk, I’m not really sure about what, but I shut the door in her face.

“Sheesh, how fucking rude!” she said loud enough for me to hear through the door.

I get that she has a sucky job. I get that it’s cold out and and there are probably other things she would like to do than to knock on strangers doors during the dinner hour but that’s the problem. I have about 30 minutes to get dinner ready before people start to eat the cardboard left in the recycling bin (see, I’m not a monster) and I don’t have time to have this conversation with this hippy chick and I don’t have time for her judgment.

I’m Minnesotan, we’re not rude by nature. We’re passive aggressive but we don’t usually shut the door in someone’s face. I’m sorry PBS girl, come back during the daytime hours. I still won’t give you what you want but I’ll listen politely for two minutes.