Mhlawumbi ndimele ndicacise-kum, ndilutshaba. Xa ndibona abantu abahamba esitratweni, ndithatha umnxeba ongeyonyani. Ayikuko ukuba andizixhasi izizathu zabo. Ndiyayilahla indlela yokuphazamisa abasemzini. Xa ndandisengumntwana, ndandinendawo yokuma yelamunade esisiqhelo. Ngokwenene yayiliqhekeza lokusebenza: mna, ndihleli ndithe cwaka esitupini sam ndinemiphanda ebilayo, uloyiko ebusweni bam, ndithandazela abantu ukuba bathobele amazwi kaDionne Warwick kwaye baqhubeke. Ndiye ndacinga ukuba ukutyikitya kwi-canvass kuya kundinyanzela ukuba ndijongane noloyiko lwam ngaxeshanye ndincede ndiqonde ukuba kutheni abantu besenza njalo.
Emva kweminxeba embalwa kunye ne-imeyile, ndiyenza icace i-ACLU kunye neGreenpeace ukuba indivumele ndi-tag kunye nabo. Igig yam yokuqala ikwi-ACLU. (Ukuxelwa ngokupheleleyo: Utata wam ebesakuba ngumqeshwa kunye nelungu lebhodi.) Imisebenzi yabo yokugaya ilawulwa ngumbutho weqela lesithathu, iGrassroots Campaigns, esebenza ngaphandle kwe-cheery, iofisi e-Herald Square.
UDavid, u-Grassroots 'lanky kunye nomphathi wengingqi onobukrakra, undibulisa emnyango kwaye wazisa iqela lakhe, iqela lezinto ezintsha ezikhutshiweyo, ezinamehlo aqaqambileyo ama-20. Babonakala bevuselelekile, bezele bubomi kwaye bekrokrela ngokungabinazo naziphi na iimpawu zokuba, nabo, banokuba behlise yonke ibhotile yeTempranillo kubusuku obudlulileyo ngelixa bebamba iShumi elinesithandathu kunye nabakhulelweyo. Ndiziva kwangoko ndingento.
Umfazi ogama linguAmanda, onamehlo aluhlaza, amachaphaza amdaka ngebala kunye ne-cheery, ikampu-umcebisi kwinkampu, unikwe uxanduva lokundiqeqesha. UAmanda ubhenele kwimibutho eyahlukeneyo ukusukela ngo-2007, kwaye xa ndibuza ukuba kutheni esenza le nto, uyasebenza. Kumnandi kakhulu kwaye kunomvuzo. Ucebisa ngokubaluleka kokugcina i-perma-grin. Abantu bafana neentsana, uzityand 'igila. Ukuba uyabancumela, nabo bayancuma. Kufuphi, iqela lisebenzisa amagqabi amahle, kungenjalo yaziwa njengokuxelela abantu ukuba babe nosuku oluhle nokuba bayakuphephetha.
Xa sifika kwindawo esikuyo iZiko laseLincoln, ndanxiba ivesti ye-ACLU eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, endinika ukubonakala kwescurf, eqhubekayo yeSmurf, emva koko ndifumana iinjongo zam zosuku: ezintandathu zokuma ngempumelelo kunye ne- $ 200 kwizithembiso. Ngaba andinakuba neenjongo ezithobekileyo? Ndiyabuza. Njengokuthi 'Musa ukuzihlanza' okanye 'Zama ukuba ungatsho ukuba kukubi'?
Ndiwangawangisa ngesandla kubantu abadlulayo, ndibuza ukuba banalo na ixesha lamalungelo esitabane. Injongo yam yokuqala, iKris Kringle doppelgänger, iyacotha xa isondela.
Ndicinga ukuba ndinelungelo lokuhamba ngesitrato ngaphandle kokuhlaselwa! Utsho ngomsindo, ubuso bubomvu krwe.
Kulungile Enkosi!
Ngombulelo, andixhatshazwa ngamazwi kwintsalela yokutshintsha kweeyure zam ezimbini. Abantu ngokubanzi bawela kwelinye lala macandelo mathathu: Abandihoyi kwaphela, ngokuzithoba bayala okanye bayeke kuba abasithethi isiNgesi kwaye bacinga ukuba ndinokukhupha iisampulu zasimahla. UAmanda undixelela ukuba umntu omnye kwabahlanu uyeke ukwenza umnikelo ngesiqhelo, kodwa ekupheleni kweeyure ezimbini, ndineendawo zokumisa ezili-10 kwaye akukho nto ndingazibonisa yona — ngokungathi andiphumelelanga ukuthandana nam kuyo yonke iNew York . Abanye, okwangoku, kubonakala ngathi bazama ngamandla ukweyisela abantu ukuba bagqithise amakhadi abo etyala, kwaye kuyenzeka kum ukuba ukubhengeza kuthatha isixa esikhulu sezakhono.
Ngelixa ama-canvassers abonakala njengendalo eyinxalenye yesitrato saseNew York City njengabathengisi bezinja ezishushu, ndothuswa kukufumanisa ukuba khange babekho kudala. IGreenpeace ibisebenza eMelika kangangeminyaka eli-10; I-ACLU iqale nje inkqubo yayo ngo-2006. Ngokombono wembali iSalvation Army yitrailblazer, icele amalizo kwizipho ezitalatweni kude kwangowe-1891. Umhla wokuzalwa kwengcambu-yengcambu, unobangela osuselweyo njengoko sisazi kwiminyaka engama-80 kamva, ukuya ngoMeyi ka-1971, xa owayekade engumthengisi weentyilalwazi ogama linguMarc Anderson wasebenzisa amava akhe kwindlu ngendlu ukuqokelela imali kubemi ukuze kube ngcono Indalo esingqongileyo. Ukuziqhelanisa nokukhula ngokucacileyo ukusukela ngoko, kwaye kugcina imibutho emininzi iqhuba. USteve Abrahamson, umlawuli weqela le-ACLU lobulungu kubuNtengiso obuThe ngqo, uthe ukufunza kubonisa ipesenti ebalulekileyo yobulungu benyanga; Adrian Brown, Greenpeace umlawuli we-canvass kazwelonke wase-USA, undixelele ukuba umsebenzi wenza ubuncinci iipesenti ezingama-50 zengeniso yombutho.
KukuGreenpeace ukuba ndiye entloko kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva, ndinethemba lokuphucula irekhodi lam lomkhondo. Iofisi yabo eseWilliamsburg ayiphawulwanga kodwa kuthotho lwezincamathelisi ekungeneni kwesitalato; phezulu, ucango lubhengeza wamkelekile kuHlaziyo. U-Amy, ongomnye wabaququzeleli beSixeko saseNew York, undihlalisa nezinye ii-neophytes ezine emva koko esihambisa ngokusisiseko.
Ngokungafaniyo nabakhankanyi kwi-ACLU, u-Amy uyayekisa indlela ka-ewe-okanye-hayi-yombuzo. Usicebisa endaweni yokuba sincokole (Masilwe ukufudumala kwehlabathi namhlanje!) Okanye sicinge (ndiyazi ukuba ukhathalele iminenga!). Ngokucacileyo, umntu osebenza eGreenpeace ogama linguCrawdaddy uthanda ukubuza, injani ivumba leorangutan? Amaphepha:1 Mbini
