Recently, and by that I mean the last month, my cell phone has been ringing in my shirt pocket. It’s quite frustrating because I rarely give my number to anyone. But there it goes, ringing and ringing and ringing.

In general, the calls are for political polls that do not interest me in the least. If you want to know who I am going to vote for, you will have to give me some money. Why should I give you information that you are going to sell to someone else? We all know that politics goes to the highest bidder.

The only difference between a pollster and a polecat is … I’m not sure there are any.

Then there are the so-called Robo calls. I still don’t understand what the hell they are. The phone rings and there is no one on the other end. I can say “Hello” 100 times and still no one responds. If I ever find out who this Theft is, I’ll be tempted to tell you a part of my mind.

Does everyone have my cell phone number? Most of the time I don’t remember what my number is and I have to look at my phone.

Then I started getting phone calls the other week about promoting my education.

“I understand”, they always begin, which makes me a little suspicious, “that you are interested in continuing your education.”

Well, I try to learn something every day if that’s what you mean. But that is not what they mean.

“From your recent application on the website” they say that if they know exactly what they are talking about, “you have indicated that you are interested in our university.” Then they pause to catch their breath, I guess, “What are you interested in chasing?”

In the first dozen calls I explained to them that there must be an error, that it was not on their website and I am not interested in anything they are providing.

From a practical point of view, I would think that would solve it. But oh no. These people have a script and they stick to their script.

“So what is the interest of your higher education?”

It must be the Pennsylvania Dutch in me or something like that because I can only put up with this kind of thing for so long. So the real me comes out of my system. Suddenly I had an idea.

I have a hard time coming up with an idea and these calls pushed me to the limit. Then a brilliant idea occurred to me. At least I thought it was brilliant.

The next one who called I said, “Yes, I am interested in continuing my education.”

“Wonderful,” they said reading his script, “what area of ​​study are you interested in?”

Now I had them eating out of my hand and I haven’t washed my hands all day.

“I’d like to take a course,” I said as seriously as I could, “in Apple-fritterology.” Of course, I’ve never heard of such a thing, but who knows what’s out there?

There was a little pause on the other end of the phone and finally the person said, “What did you say?”

“I would like to take a course in Apple fritterology.”

“Would you mind,” the other end of the phone muttered, “spell that for me?”

“ApplefrItterology”.

“I’m not sure we have a class for that. I’ve never heard of it before.”

In that moment, I knew I had them. “That is what interests me and for that I want to register, how can I do that?”

“Sir”, and I was able to tell him at this point that they were out of the script, “could you explain to me what that is? I’ve never heard that before.”

“It is the study of apple fritters and their impact on modern psychosomatic society.”

After that, there was a distinctive “click” as the other end of the phone abruptly hung up.

After that phone conversation, I got to thinking about it. That would be a wonderful course of study. I plan to do some proper research on the topic of what it will be like to eat apple fritters. I plan to be an apple fritterologist.

I am sure that I will be the first of its kind and should be planning and preparing a course of study on this tremendous subject. After all, who wouldn’t be interested in such a study?

Since then, I have received several other calls asking about my interest in continuing my education. Now, I am reading my script and confusing the person on the other end of the phone. I can’t wait for the next phone call to come. I’m having a great time. For every phone call I get, I eat two apple fritters.

If I had never received any of these phone calls, I would never have come up with such a wonderful plan. So why should I complain that my cell phone is ringing in my shirt pocket? For every frustrating experience in life, there is a bright rainbow filled with apple fritters.

I remembered what the old preacher said: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, no artifice, no science, and no wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) .

One of the joys in life when someone frustrates you is returning the favor.