Nighttime call
Jon and I were enjoying a nice quiet night at home. We had popped the Netflix movie in, Bridge to Terabithia, and we were watching the story unfold.
Then the phone rings.
It’s 9:54 pm.
Who’s calling us at 9:54? I wonder if it’s your parents?
It’s not a number I recognized and I fully expected to hear, “Sorry I have the wrong number.” after I picked up the phone.
Instead I heard “Hello, Sis. Blake this is Bro. Moe*. We have chapel cleaning duty tomorrow and I’m going through the names for it. Can you be there at 9?”
“Uh, I’m not able to make that.”
“You have something going on aroundรย 9 am tomorrow?”
“Yes, I do. I won’t be able to make it.”
“Alright I’ll put your name down for the next time.”
I wish I could convey my confusion and the exact conversation. I felt like I should know that I was assigned to clean the chapel, or even that I had volunteered, but I had no idea that it was our turn this month and no idea I was up to clean the chapel this Saturday.
In our old ward it went by auxiliaries and people volunteered. Of course it usually ended up being the presidency members from each auxiliary, and not many families or other members volunteered. They also liked to clean at ungodly hours of 7:30 am. ๐
But you knew ahead of time that you had volunteered to clean the chapel.
Now I have no qualms with being assigned to clean the chapel, in fact it might be a better way to get members to come and clean the chapel.รย Iรย also find 9 am to be a much more agreeable time, especially if I wanted to bring my children to help. What I have qualms with is not knowing I’m assigned to clean the chapel until the night before, and especially not knowing until 9:54 pm the night before.
I felt like he was trying to sneak up on me. ‘You’re assigned and nobody has morning engagements on Saturdays, so you must be available and can’t say no.’
I do have a morning engagement, it’s at 10 o’clock, but I like to take my shower after I clean the chapel and I wouldn’t have time to do that before my blood donor appointment. I also want to save my energy and not exert myself right before I give blood because I already have a difficult time donating.รย Now I could cancel, but I really don’t want to.รย Especially when you call me at 9:54 the night before. It just brings out my annoyed side, not my give service side.
Would you be as annoyed by this too?
*Names have been changed to protect the identity of a brethren I haven’t met yet.
September 20th, 2008 at 5:19 am
โYou have something going on around 9 am tomorrow?โย
โYes, I do. I wonโt be able to make it.โย
First of all, holy awkwardness! What kind of question is this stranger asking? And your answer, Love it! Straight to the point, perfect. I too would’ve been super annoyed by that call. One, by the un-notified assignment, Two, by the late night call, and Three, by the annoying re-statement of the question-question. What did he think you’d say, “Oh, did you say 9 am, Oh of course I’ll be there. I wasn’t listening the first time.”? Ugh.
September 20th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Who calls someone they don’t know at 10 o’clock? Unless there’s a fire at the chapel that you need me to put out, show some common courtesy and save yourself some angry people.
September 20th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Yes, I would be annoyed by that too. When I was in the Young Women’s Presidency, We had no idea that it was our turn and we had to switch a lot of our plans so we could do it that day. I know what you mean by it sneaking up on you.
September 20th, 2008 at 10:19 am
I would have been annoyed, but I probably wouldn’t have been able to say no…I am such a pushover. I need to grow some…
September 20th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Had I not had the appointment I would have said yes because I think it’s important to keep the chapel clean plus I wouldn’t of had a good excuse. I so can’t think on my feet when surprised, or confused in this case.
I’ve been in the ward since mid January and have never heard anything on cleaning the chapel. So I’m guessing they just call people ahead of time. Maybe this week someone forgot and tried to squeeze it in at an unreasonable hour, rather than saying “It’s too late we’ll have to see who we can get tomorrow morning or just clean the important places by ourselves honey.”
I think they need to call a week ahead to tell people they’ve been assigned, because lets face it, those who are willing to help will still help, while those who don’t want to help will give you an excuse whether they have a weeks notice or a nights notice.
I’m just hoping calling the night before is not a regular practice and when my turn comes around again I’ll see if a similar days notice happens and if it does I will definitely mention it to someone.
September 20th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
See atleast when I call late at night it’s either my butt or my purse!! Happy to see I’m not the only one who calls the Blake house late at night ๐
September 21st, 2008 at 4:03 pm
On my boss’s calendar he had Temple cleaning for Saturday at 9A, but he isn’t in your ward. Was it him who called you? J/K of course.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
I would have been annoyed too. Saturday’s are busy days at our house- if you want on our Saturday calendar you’d better plan farther ahead then that! Although if the phone rings late at our house we pretty much know it’s my sister Hannah. ๐