Taking a Stand

I had an interesting experience today that I thought I'd share.


A year ago or so, I subscribed to Women's Health Magazine. It is published by the same people who publish my favorite cycling magazine, so I thought it might be good for diet and exercise tips.


While it does have a lot of those, I've been disappointed by too much PG-13 and even what I would consider R rated material. So much so, that 2 of the issues I have thrown away upon looking at them. Most of them haven't been ones that I feel comfortable having out on my coffee table.


So, when the renewal came around, I threw it away.


Today they called me to offer a 30 month renewal deal. I listened politely and was about to say no thank you and hang up, when it occurred to me that I should tell him exactly why I would not be renewing my subscription.


I very politely told him that I was not comfortable having the magazine on the table because it contained content that I didn't want my kids reading. His solution "Maybe you could put it in a drawer or something where your kids couldn't see it." (Seriously, was this guy ever a kid? And second, REALLY, is he suggesting that I hide it like it's porn or something? )

I laughed and said that I probably shouldn't be reading anything that I wouldn't want my kids to find. He paused for a minute and said, "I have to tell you, you are not the first person to cancel for that reason. Thanks for your honesty. I can tell that you are a good mom."


I felt really good when I got off the phone. I had made my stand, but in a way that left both of us feeling good about the conversation. Sometimes with these kind of issues, I tend to get on a high horse and offend people, or at least wish I would have handled things differently. Today, I actually felt like I said the right thing at the right time to the right person.


I should do that more often.