Lessons from Girls Scouts

It's that time of year again when Girl Scouts hang out in all the popular places--grocery stores, hair salons, subway stations--set up with tables piled high with boxes of cookies.  Delicious cookies that only come once a year that I would buy many more of, if only for one thing: if the Girl Scouts asked me more often.  I insist on walking past the tables and the boxes of Thin Mints and Do Si Dos unless a fine young lady asks me, "Would you like to buy a box of Girl Scout cookies?" Because, duh!! Of course I want to.  But in the spirit of the Girl Scout mission to develop young women in to leaders, I insist they ask me.  Which makes the following conversation with Dave on the way to the subway station that much more funny.

Me: Damn.  I was going to say I really hope a Girl Scout asks me to buy cookies today because I really want some Samoas, but I think I only have $2.00 in my wallet.

Dave: So why shouldn't they ask you?

Me: Because I only have $2.00 so I'll have to say no.

Dave: And that doesn't teach them a lesson?

Me: No, that's not the lesson I want to teach them.  I don't want them to think I just don't want them or that I'm poor.  Thinking I'm too poor to buy Girl Scout cookies is a terrible lesson.

Dave: How so? It tells them about their market and that they're priced too high.

Me: No, that's not the lesson.  The lesson I want to teach them is if they asked me to buy cookies, I will; but if they don't ask me I won't just offer them money for cookies.  I don't want to teach them that if they ask me and I say no that I'm poor.  That's a terrible lesson.

Dave: But it's a lesson in the market which is also valuable.  They shouldn't charge so much.

Me: No, no, that's not the point.  The point is that if they don't ask me, I won't buy, so they won't get what they want.

Dave: That's just silly.  You should teach them as many lessons as possible.

Me: Well, you should be giving me $2.00 so I can say yes when they ask me!

Dave: I'd give you $2.00 if you asked!  You didn't ask, so I'm not going to just give you money.  You have to ask for what you want!

Touche, husband, touche. 

But regardless, it didn't really matter because I actually did have money in my wallet to buy Girl Scout cookies.  Unfortunately when we go to the subway station there were no Girl Scouts hawking their wares that I could teach a lesson to.

Damn.  And I still want a box of Samoas.