Right Speech and Telemarketers

So, I'm working on right speech with my friends again. (Yes, I know this topic seems a little hackneyed, but it's a never-ending area of improvement for me.) And I've gotten tons of calls recently from telemarketers. (I don't know how we got off the no-call list. Note to self: Fix that.)

You know the drill: They call. You answer. They butcher your name and begin the long drawn-out, breathy script they recite with every phone call, making sure to continue speaking quickly so that you can't say a word. You interrupt, tell them no thank you, and they say, "I understand that ma'am, but . . . ."

The point where my irritation kicks in varies depending on my mood. Irritation, nevertheless, eventually kicks in, and what I want to say is certainly not right speech: something that sounds a lot like my two-year old when he's over-tired, teething, and being smothered by his sister.

But I've actually been working on how I respond to these people. First of all, I try to remember that these people are trying to make a living, and in these economic times, it could by any of us sitting there selling cleaning supplies over the phone. It's not exactly the caller whom is the object of my frustration, but rather the person who decided that their company ought to call people and that there ought to be a script that makes it very difficult for people to say no, namely little old ladies who've been taught all their lives that they should never, ever be rude, lest they be seen as not-ladylike. (That's another blog unto itself.)

But just because a person has called me up and not immediately accepted my decline does not make it wise to be unkind. Saying no - to anyone, not just a telemarketer - and doing so skillfully requires equanimity, patience, and mindfulness.

I'm not quite there yet. If you happen to be there, tips are always welcome. In the meantime, I'll welcome the calls as an opportunities to practice wise speech.