Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Lazy Scouts

Today I got an email from an employee of a certain Department titled “Girl Scout Cookies.” I rolled my eyes knowing it was someone taking advantage of the hundreds of email addresses at their disposal to sell cookies for their niece, sister or grand daughter or something. I opened it anyway. Yup – a grand daughter.

Delete.

I remember an order form in the staff kitchen last year, taped to the refrigerator for me and all employees to order Girl Scout cookies. I don’t remember whose lazy kid that was.

Maybe this doesn’t bother you, but as a former girl scout who had to set time aside after getting her homework done to go door to door selling cookies, I resent this a little.

I remember getting in my little Brownie uniform, putting on my sash and walking up and down the neighborhood. I remember my dad dropping me off at the grocery store on 106th South (now the Living Planet Aquarium) and setting up a card table with boxes of cookies and selling them to people before they bought their groceries. I also remember setting up a station on the north side of my house where all the Junior High School kids walked past after school. That spot was golden.

Granted, reaching the masses via email wasn’t an option back then. But I never asked my dad to take an order form to his office and pass it around to his colleagues and students; I was expected to sell the cookies myself. I guess the thought of a 9 year-old making sales via Mommy and Daddy while she chills by the Pepperwood pool watching Hanna Montana on her video iPod pisses me off.

Or maybe I just had a lot of spoiled classmates growing up.

I don’t know, are these kids spoiled or are they smart to tap into every resource possible? I can’t decide. All I know is I’m not ordering from a faceless Girl Scout. I’ll buy from the girl who sets up shop outside Albertson’s or the girl who comes to my door wearing her uniform.

Or maybe I’ll jump on the “Cookie Ban” Bandwagon because they make kids fat:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,255421,00.html
(so ridiculous – yet entertaining).

7 comments:

Ilene said...

Yum, sign me up for some Samoas.

I never was a girl scout and am kind of relieved that I wasn't. I can't sell a thing.

TUG said...

I totally agree with you. Scouts are supposed to teach you important leadership and life lessons, not how to use your folks to get ahead.

I loved it when the girl scouts would come by the house and my mother would talk to them and say, "When I was your age I would go around the neighborhood and sell these cookies. They only cost 10 cents a box then."

Hilda said...

I agree, let's teach these girls to go outside and sell some cookies, isn't that the point of being a girl scout?

Anonymous said...

I can't believe you didn't tell me about the LOST countdown clock! I saw it on your website and got VERY jealous so, of course, I had to add it to mine. :-)

Ang said...

I'm with ya! If they are pounding the pavement in addition to using their parents or e-mail, then it's allowable...Unfortunately, here in SF, they can't go door-to-door. Too dangerous and too many buildings with security systems that you can't get into.

Natalie said...

Um, i think everyone knows everyone.
First, I am Alisa's life coach... i tell her what to do and she rarely follows it. She isn't a very good student. I used to work with Alisa and she is still one of my very good friends.

As for katie, I went to high school with her and i also worked with her for a few years back in college.

It's totaly ok to blog stalk, i do it all the time.

Lisa Marie Trent said...

I think they are just covering their bases...HOWEVER- I NEVER see any anywhere, and none of them come to me, so if it's not too late, after deleting the email- I'd like to by some cookies. Even if it's from some stupid stranger. I haven't had those cookies in years. I'm dyin.