Strangers in your home

 

Would you invite someone like me into your home?

By Debra L. Karplus

To keep life interesting and have a bit more pocket change, I’ve done numerous odd jobs.  One of the more unusual, totally fun gigs was my employment as a Welcome Wagon hostess (1983 to 1984).  People assumed I was a volunteer, but I actually hauled in some decent income.  I’d bring a basket of goodies (I still have that basket) to newcomers and others going through life changes.  I was compensated based on how many visits I made and the number of paid advertisers represented in my basket.  I was reasonably successful recruiting businesses.  Because of my overflowing basket and calendar filled with WW appointments, I additionally earned bonuses, practical prizes such as a magazine holder and coat-tree that I still use today.

Friends ask me if Welcome Wagon is still in business; I searched online.  Welcomewagon.com didn’t provide a straightforward answer other than to state they started in 1928, and still exist, but somewhere in the recent past have morphed from a face-to-face enterprise to something different.  Frankly, I’m relieved, as these days, I can’t imagine going into the homes of strangers, nor can I imagine them letting me in!

As a therapist, in the late 1990s, I visited homes around Central Illinois to provide services to children ages birth to three years old.  I didn’t question my personal safety in this state-funded program.  But around 2009, there was a very high profile homicide case in the residence of one of my home visit clients.  I often thought the family was a bit creepy, but I was diligent about doing my job, so never flinched. 

There were other families I’d visited during that stint that gave me the heebie- jeebies, but “keep on keeping on” was my mantra.

My mom is no longer around, but I have a vague recollection of her story about a professional who came by appointment into our home around 1958 to take family photographs.  His name was later in the Chicago Tribune for doing something very naughty.  Mom was very protective of us, so I never really got the ugly details, but it could possibly have been murder, hopefully not of one of his photograph-ees.

Well, that’s enough about grotesque and scary tales for now!

In our lifetime, selling popular household items door-to-door was extremely popular.  Vacuum cleaner salesmen were plentiful, from reputable companies that still exist, such as Kirby.  After visiting your neighbor’s home, they’d knock on your door and you’d happily let them in, serving up a cup of Sanka.

They’d sprinkle a container of schmutz (dirt) on your nice white carpeting, then demonstrate how nicely their vacuum cleaner did the job, and voila, you’d become the owner of a new vacuum cleaner.  There were travelling salesmen from who-knows-where selling items like Fuller Brush, Avon cosmetics, encyclopedias, and even Bibles.

I was very curious what caused their demise, since the only uninvited “guests” that come to my home, if they can even find our sleepy little cul-de-sac, are folks distributing political flyers or selling cable services.

I thought it was probably a safety issue, But, no, in the mid-1970s more women were out at work, thus nobody was home to invite these well-intended salesmen in.  Thus the apparent death of door-to-door selling evolved.

Once I hired a piano tuner to come to our house to keep our large musical instrument at its best for my children who were taking piano lessons, the tuner called me into the room.  I assumed he wanted to show me the inner workings of our piano, but instead started reading me scriptures.  I was patient with him, but didn’t appreciate hearing his rendition of religion. 

There are so many other things we used to do and never question the safety or security.  School identification was your social security number.  We used to also use our SS number on our personal checks and driver’s license.  It’s nearly impossible to imagine that being okay, but though we live in a world where the majority of people are honest and kind-hearted, there are a few bad apples, very bad apples.

Many places of worship have security systems at the front door, some even have hired security companies to serve and protect parishoners, as do buzzers at places like 24/7 gyms, and, of course, schools.  It’s terribly sad to see the erosion of trust!

But clearly we need to keep our perspective.  Most people are good, but unfortunately it’s those unsavory individuals that have kept us on guard to protect our safety.