Not Everything Has Changed

As a rule, I normally keep my literary life separate from my professional life, but, in this case, the irony of what happened to me on Wednesday makes it worth mentioning. I spend my days on the telephone trying to save companies money on their energy bills. It's a hard job because people are stuck in their ways and the idea of change frightens them. There are other reasons as well, but they are not germaine to the context of this entry.
A few weeks ago, I hit upon the idea of calling non-profit organizations. I figured that they would be one of the first rungs on the economic ladder to be squeezed as a result of current economic conditions, making them more willing to listen to cost cutting options. It's been true in a few cases. I've been able to arrange several meetings and a few of those meetings have resulted in sales. It makes economic sense to have a better handle on what your electricity costs will be when you're organizational viability is in question. Certainly, that is the case for many businesses across the economic spectrum at this time.
My normal approach is to view the organization's website and get an idea of what they do. Then I look for a staff listing hoping to find the right person to speak to. When I came across the site for the Center for Community Change, I was initially impressed. The home page has a picture of Barack Obama facing a crowd and the caption reads "The Meaning of This Moment." I looked at the staff directory and found the name of the Accounting Manager. I figured, what better organization to call than the Center for Community Change. Surely, they will listen to a concept to save money.
Wow, was I wrong. The woman who answered the phone in the New York office was named Margie. When I asked for the Accounting Manager, she asked who I was, and when I told her, her response was, "What makes you think he'd be in this office?" I responded by saying that I saw him listed as the Accounting Manager and I wanted to speak to him regarding cost cutting options. Her response was, "Well, I don't know you and I don't know your organization so I don't want to speak to you." Boom. Down goes the phone.
Since this happens to me a hundred times a day, I wasn't angry or depressed, but I was struck by the irony of the encounter. On the mission page of the website, under a section entitled "What We Believe" reads the following passage: We believe that only together – by sharing our hopes, connecting with each other, and taking action together – can we change our communities and nation for the better.
I had to laugh. I'm not expecting this woman to fawn over me and spend money in ten minutes on what I am selling, but the abruptness of a woman who works for an organization trying to affect social change by bringing people together struck me as completely inappropriate.
It perfectly illustrated what really does have to change in this country. We desperately need to return to a spirit of civility if we are ever going to realize the dream that the Center for Community Change is fighting for. Otherwise, their dream will remain a pipe dream, no matter how many organizational objectives they achieve. This lesson should be impressed upon Margie and everyone else in this country who feels they have the right to be rude to people just because they annoy them or they have the ability to maintain their anonymity. Everyone is a person deserving of respect. Only when that is accepted as Gospel truth will the real spirit of community that this organization seeks become even remotely possible.