Please Try Again


We've been getting a string of wrong numbers lately and it's heartbreaking.

The calls are eerily similar: a polite and very direct, female voice on the other end of the phone says hello and immediately tells me how many children she has and that they need a place to stay.   Apparently, our number is being given out by some agency or other for housing or sheltering services.

I try to break in as quickly as I can to let them know they have the wrong number.   I find myself wishing I could be the help they're looking for, though. There is something so immediate and human in this simple, specific call for help. 

All I can think about are circumstances that must have led up to that call, the courage it took to pick up that phone.

I don't have any way to help them right now (I'm trying to track down the number they should have been given) but my reaction has given me a bit of insight.  The next time I need help from someone, maybe I'll be a little less reticent to ask for it.

Comments

Mel said…
Asking for help is hard. Really the worst, hardest thing for a lot of people. But I believe that most people love to be able to help. And that makes asking easier. I hope you are able to find the agency giving out your number.
Stefaneener said…
Yes, sometimes I tell people that they are giving other people the gift of helping - which, as you can tell, isn't something to sniff at.

Good luck with the number.
SurprisingWoman said…
Heartbreaking.

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