Tess licked her lips.

“And just last week,” she added, “we sent out one of our boats to stop the Japanese whalers. That’s us out there, doing it. Nobody else is doing it. The governments who make the laws just write the laws, but who’s enforcing this one? Greenpeace is.”

The woman looked uncomfortable. She bounced her baby once on her hip and pushed up her sunglasses.

A silence expanded between them. Tess spoke up again, almost shouting to drown out the rattle of passing shopping carts. “And almost half of last year’s donations was made up of monthly contributions from our members. We keep you updated by email on our latest news.”

“Is it just whales?” the woman asked.

“Is what?”

“Is that all Greenpeace is doing?”

“No, no, Greenpeace is very expansive. We lobby for a veritable smorgasbord of issues,” grinned Tess. She had been eager to use that phrase. “One of our biggest causes right now is Project Hotseat. We’re campaigning for stronger environmental laws. We also organize local beach clean-ups.” She fingered her clipboard. “If you sign up today, we’ll send you a free button in the mail and an information packet with charts and figures of everything we’re doing.”

“I don’t know…”

“Do you believe we have an obligation to keep our planet safe? From, you know, ourselves?”

The woman looked away and sighed. “I actually used to be a member of Greenpeace,” she admitted. Tess couldn’t see her eyes through the oversized sunglasses.

“Used to be?” Tess asked curiously, sensing a weakness in the woman’s defense. If she had been convinced once, surely Tess could push her to sign up again.

“Yes, but I canceled my membership a year ago.”

“Why?” Tess queried after a few beats of silence. This woman was not uncomfortable with silence like so many people were. Especially Tess.

“I couldn’t…” She paused to adjust her baby again. “I couldn’t justify spending $50 a month on whales when there were people in the world who were still suffering.”

Tess froze.

The woman continued, “How could I care more about saving fish than making sure a child somewhere has clean water?”

“Whales aren’t our only cause,” Tess repeated. “Project Hotseat is particularly humanitarian.” She was pleased with her quick thinking. “Climate change affects the poorest the most. I mean, Hurricane Katrina was, you know, an example of that.”

The woman didn’t say anything.

“I mean, everything we’re doing is humanitarian, in a way. Even saving the whales. We have to preserve our environment, you know?”

The woman wrinkled her nose slightly. Tess suddenly felt threatened. The authority in the conversation had shifted. “I should be going,” the woman said.

“Will you sign up as a member? Again?” Tess pleaded shamelessly.

“I’m sorry. I still can’t justify it.” She smiled curtly and walked to her car.

Tess clenched her teeth. Be proud, she told herself. You’re helping the whole world right now. This is it. You’re doing it.

__________________________

See also Caiti’s and Crow’s FFFs. After reading theirs, can you pick up on a similar theme?