Just today I was hurrying through the centre to get to the Post Office for the second time, having decided the queue was too long the first time and that I would do my other shopping first and swing by again afterwards. In that space the cause celebs had moved into prime position:

Hello! Do you like animals?

Wrong day, mate.

I have a streaming head cold and a raging headache, and I can’t take anything for it because I’m pregnant.

I have “popped out” to the pharmacy, the supermarket, and the post office – hoping I would be only half an hour or so, but I’ve already had to go to two supermarkets to get what I need of a list of 5 items (and I’m still one item short because neither supermarket has it in stock). That is on top of “just swinging by” the post office twice.

Wrong day. But tomorrow will undoubtedly be just as wrong.

Do I like animals?

Only on a barbecue.

Don’t get me wrong: I do like animals. I just never signed a contract requiring me to be honest and sincere when asked a leading question by a complete stranger.

Save yourself the martyrdom of trying to interest the completely uninterestable in your cause. There are better ways to bring people’s attention to something worthwhile. Squidoo is one of them.

Here are some top notch lenses created to promote a cause. Learn from the masters, and ditch the supermarket table and posters.

I’ll start with some animal causes since it was an animal lover I was rude to:

Frankster’s Are You Polar Bear Aware and Saving the Dancing Bears of India lenses
Kiwisoutback’s All About Endangered Species lens

And my favourite lenses that promote the concept of empowering people:

Girl Powered Peace by WorldPeaceEmerging
KIVA: For The Love Of Kiva! by MrLewisSmile
The Acumen Fund by SemperFidelis