Collecting
Monday 25 October 2010 I have barely commenced my yearly door-to-door collection for the Animal Protection Association when the rain starts. "Would you like to borrow an umbrella?" asks a friendly lady, but I don't. Not yet. Perhaps it would only be a few drops. Piet Paulusma, the weather man, had said, after all, that it would remain dry that day. Piet Paulsma is wrong. A few houses down the road and the drizzle turns into a downpour. Piet Paulusma may have lost his credibility with me but I will not let myself get down by a bit of wetness. Willy, an acquaintance who lives in "my" collection street, ends up lending me an umbrella and I move along with my collection kitty, hair dripping. Wherever the lights are on I stop and ring the doorbell along one of the nicest and most beautiful streets in our neighborhood.Friendly and generous people live here, which is why I want to collect in this street. There are two parts to it and I always start with the section where in all those years, as far as I know, no one has ever refused to give anything. Not that a refusal would affect me one way or the other, since everyone has the right to donate to the Animal Protection Association or not, but it does make for a good start with a little something at the bottom of the collection container. The people are amicable, whether young or old they are all friendly. Even a man who doesn't like animals is always generous. In the other section of the street there are some people who are just as friendly, but there are also those who ignore me and leave me standing at their doorstep. Another thing that amazes me every year is the family who loves animals but never wants to donate anything to the APA. But perhaps they don't donate to other causes either and refuse on principle; they are against any form of begging at the door. This year, there is a lady who starts off with a firm scolding of her barking dog, "act normal" she says to the little animal ("lady", I think, "this IS normal, when a stranger is standing in front of the door and he defends his territory".) and proceeds by almost laughing at me when I ask if she would like to donate to the APA. She doesn't. Her neighbor does... puts money in the collection container and only then asks about the cause. Another man says that he himself also collects for the APA but he does put some money in my kitty anyway because he never refuses a collector.
Then I arrive at the "headache" lady again. A few years ago, she and I were sitting in the waiting room of a homeopathic physician when she started a conversation. She recognized me from the APA collections. Both of us were in that waiting room because we had complaints about headaches and ever since we ask one another how our heads are doing when I stop by on my yearly collection route.
Then there is that gorgeous girl that reminds me of times past. The curtains are closed but I see a bit of light shine through the opening pleat so I ring the door bell. The girl opens the door and I almost get trampled by an overweight dog. The girl appears to be about seventeen, eighteen years old. Again this time, as she did last year, she says that her father is not home. That's what reminds me of the old days, when I was first married and the Jehova's Witnesses showed up on my doorstep for the first time, and me not knowing how to handle that. So I simply said that my parents were not home.
People are fascinating. Although collecting donations is not my favorite thing to do, the fascinating part is that you meet many people in just a few hours. Very briefly, but in that short period of time you learn a lot. However, questions do remain. How can a person be so illogical, for example? A man is having dinner and, therefore, doesn't want to take the time to retrieve his wallet from his car, but he does take the time to tell me all about the eyes of his cat. And why is one person in a good mood every year while another is always ticked off? Is that because of my collecting or is he always in a bad mood? Or maybe a deep sadness hides behind that one door? And behind the other door lives an upbeat family who knows the art of living happily and well?
Finally I arrive at the last house. A nice lady, a generous giver. A little chat, a smile, and, what do you know, it stops raining. It has ended, the collection for the Animal Protection Agency. The next collection will be in February, for Amnesty International. But for this organization I requested to do the street where I live myself, because I don't think it's a good idea to collect money for two different causes in the same street. Although I'm secretly curious if the people who say "no" to the collector for the Animal Protection Agency, and so in fact say "no" to the well-being of animals, would also say "no" to the collector for Amnesty International, and thereby would say "no" to human rights.
October 2010 Dini Commandeur. Translation: Maria O’Neill