canvassing on the wrong day

A few weeks ago I received a call from one of the Barack Obama campaign worker asking me if I could help them. My damn fault for having gotten so excited about Obama's campaign and signed up on his website and ticked the "I want to help" box. I agreed.
It was last Sunday. The weather could not have been worse. Heavy freezing rain. I'm driving to Manchester, New Hampshire, further than I've ever been around here, in my mini-coop. I'm driving extra cautiously wondering what the hell I am doing and swearing that Obama better be elected.
For once, I don't get lost and I get there half an hour early. (we're close to a miracle here). I see big banners saying Obama for President on the windows, so I guess I'm in the right place. I enter and see a couple of large rooms pretty much empty except for banners and his picture on all the walls. I'm thinking this is kinda cool, but I'm totally out of place. What does a Swiss girl who can't even vote do here? I'm thinking about turning around, but the rain outside and my pride push me to stay. I'm super nervous, so I hesitantly enter the next room, where I see a few people. Somebody notices me (damn, I can't turn around now) and welcomes me: you must be a volunteer. I introduce myself and they hook me up with Lucy who is going to take care of me. She totally reminds me of Jen P. (my former Nautilus friend), so I feel reassured. I explain who I am and that being Swiss I feel kind of out of place. She thinks it's great. So she gives me a piece of paper with a script and shows me a desk and a phone. I am starting to seriously freak out. She gives me more info and I listen to her doing a few phone calls, which freaks me out even more. I keep looking at a poster of Obama and it helps me: he is totally worth it, don't run out of the door.
My job consists of calling a list of people who have previously voted democrat and ask them how they feel about Barack Obama thus far; will they vote for him; if not, for who; what issues they are most concerned with; if they want to help. There is actually an order for all of these questions and on the one page script, different scenarios are drafted.
I take three deep breaths and dial the first number. The guy is not interested and hangs up on me. Great. Three more deep breaths, the second person is going to vote for Obama, she loves him, he is “a breath of fresh air.” I talk to about 50 people.
It is actually very exciting to hear that 90% of the people I called (minus the guy that had died two years and one day before my call) like or love Obama and that their top issues are the war in Iraq, environment (I was surprised that this was on top of American's priorities), health care and values (they are tired of being lied to and of political mixing with personal agendas).
I'm done with my list of names and I'm drained. I go back to Lucy and she takes me to Brian, who had asked me to come in the first place. Brian thanks me for coming and tells me that he was actually expecting me the following week for the big rally follow-up. Ooops. That would explain the empty rooms and the fact that I am the only volunteer there. The room is half way set up; there is a huge pile of computers still in their boxes, and maybe 15 people in the room. I feel like a complete idiot. They really need me this week... And I cannot go because my friend is in town. I promise that I will come back some other time. However, if I could do database entry, I would feel a lot more comfortable. He says he can get me to do that, plus a few calls and asks if I would be interested in going door-to-door canvassing. This sounds even freakier than making calls... Maybe I'll work the nerve to do it. I've worked the nerve to do all of this already. Who knows…
Stay tune for more political action. I want to keep doing it and see how this thing grows. GO OBAMA!