The Chocolate War, both book and real life... kinda... not really

Before I was a parent, and even back when Dylan was still teeny tiny, I told myself I would not participate in those "have your kids sell our stuff to their family and friends" fundraisers.  No wrapping paper, chocolates, cookies, popcorn, whatever.  It is just one of those things that as a non parent I knew to be annoying, I'd much rather just donate some cash and call it a day.  So far we've managed to avoid anything like this, but I knew it would eventually catch up to us.

And it has.  The second week of school Dylan brought home some catalogs and order forms for a PTA fundraiser.  And I considered participating.  Because I want to support the school, and I want to be involved (I even joined, and I went to the first PTA meeting).  But I kept hearing this little voice in the back of my head going "oh come on Jess, you're not really going to do this are you? remember how you really feel about it."  So I'm not.  I'll happily support the school in other ways though, I just don't want to sell people crap.  Especially since Dylan is too young to be responsible for any of it.  If he wants to do it when he's old enough to own it, that's fine.

Ironically (or perhaps more accurately it's "coincidental" though I feel a little bit of irony is involved), I finally got around to reading The Chocolate War this week.  So now I feel like I'm not selling this stuff in solidarity with Jerry.  Luckily I don't have to worry about cruel mob mentality over my decision though I'm probably not disturbing the universe as much as he did either.

Comments

Jenn said…
We got those too and I looked through it he catalog, decided I wouldn't want any of it so I couldn't possibly foist it on others, and threw it away. I'm not cut out to sell crap.
Jess said…
Me neither. I'll have to find other ways to be supportive