Free Cookies Gladly Accepted
People don’t have a problem with free stuff. Even apprehension is put backseat to acceptance. Over the course of ten days, I have been going around offering free Scooby Snacks to people, and I did not run in to one person that turned away from free snacks.
“Sure?” One student responded when I offered him a Snack. He was unsure if this was something that he wanted. But I assured him that it was safe. Once he saw that is was, in fact, a boxed good his uncertainty disappeared.
“Thanks,” said Luis, a Morningside international student. Under stubble, what I took to be a permanent look, he seemed unsure, almost like he didn’t know what was happening. He had a thick accent, so there was struggle to keep the conversation going, but I did notice that he was in fact appreciative of the food. His appreciation was not that of necessity, but it was surprise that someone may offer him something.
Girls I found to be apprehensive, especially those that I didn’t know. Many of them couldn’t grasp why a random male student would give them candy. To them, I would explain that it was an assignment for class, in which case they gladly accepted free treats. It seemed by the same unassured look that I got from each girl, that in this new era it is a bit strange for a male to offer something free. But when nothing is demanded in return, it is seen as a sweet gesture. It makes me wonder if there is something to be said about gender politics, when a simple snack can is questioned.
Off campus, at work, I noticed much less apprehension, which I what I assumed from the beginning. I had scene reactions from people who had taken free food before, and I wondered if the same would be true for me.
“What is it?” Ray asked. He was a tall guy in his mid thirties with shaggy hair and some scruff on his face. I explained that they work in fact Scooby snacks. “Yes!” he said, and hurriedly took one. The same could not be said for my other coworkers, who gladly took one, and only asked what they took after they began eating. I’m glad that this happened because it proved that my experiment of offering food was a success.
It seems college students live in a bubble. We are unsure about the outside world, therefore we are apprehensive when offered free things, food especially. However, once we realize that it comes from a box, a little trigger goes off in our brain, telling us that this must be safe. My coworkers have been out of school for some time, three years, at least, for the youngest of them. They have more experience, therefore they are less fearful of what people have to offer. Maybe they care a little less about there health, but it may be something a little more optimistic. It may be that they know kindness and generosity don’t always need to be questioned.
I think it is crazy that nobody turned you down. I was trying to be as sketchy as possible and normal at certain points and got turned down numerous times. Then again, who doesn’t love free cookies. It is true though, college student do live in a bubble. We are too scared to even take free things now-a-days.
Riley, great description of how you were handing out the cookies to everyone. I wish that there was more dialogue in your article. Your portraits of other people show the reader that there is more than just you in the story. Now, they need voices to complete the story.
Ten days? Really?
I don’t know that I would put a lot of emphasis on “gender politics,” though it might mean something different for men and women to accept free gifts. There is an issue of vulnerability.
If I were to make assumptions about your coworkers and how they differ from college students, it might be a matter of opportunity. College students are offered “free” stuff with some regularity (though nothing is ever free). In the working world, those opportunities come less often, so we grab them when we can. Yes, even facullty are quick to take advantage of free food and drink.