Lately, though, these small but simple pleasures have been constantly interrupted by an ever-increasing stream of phone calls and home visits.
I've become the victim of a new type of home invasion. I'm not in the phone book. I never gave them my number, just as I never asked any of the visitors to stop by. They just forced themselves on me and invaded my privacy, without permission and if that wasn't bad enough, some of them wouldn't take "no" for an answer.
They come in various guises. Telemarketers, door-to-door sales, scammers, collectors, financial support seekers and those with religious motive. Whoever they are and whatever they represent matters not. The point is they are all unwanted and unsolicited.
Their calls and visits are taking some of the pleasure out of the "mmm" in my home.
The first invasion of the day gets the polite "no thanks, I'm not interested" but by 7pm I'm locked in my own home, crawling round on my hands and knees so as not to be spotted from the window, and removing the batteries from the cordless phone.
In between, I employ various techniques to rid myself of these rude interruptions, depending on the invader's motive. This can be achieved with a short, sharp slamming of the door, in their face. The PC phone scammer doesn't even get to make their pitch before I hang up without saying a word, while others are told to "bugger off, if I want to change freaking power companies, I'll come to you".
I've even tried hiding and just not answering the door, but to no avail. These repeat offenders just keep coming back.
It's all I can do not to fling the door open and release the Waffle, who would be only too happy to leave a calling card of his own that would require medical attention. If I was to do so, I'm sure the law would invariably favour the invader. That person who is on my property and in my face without my consent, invading my right to privacy. Waffle would literally be destroyed. Meanwhile, the real intruder is released back on to our streets all ready to invade yet another home.
What sort of world do we live in, where, for the most part driven by greed, people are relentlessly hounded within the walls of their own homes.
Whether at your door, on the phone and even on the screen of digital devices, home can no longer provide the protection it once did. Despite being private property, our private lives are being deliberately and increasingly targeted as a means of doing business.
Budding signwriters might want to make the most of the gap in the market for signs that can be posted at your door.
Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Unless invited, I don't care!
You are, however, always invited to offer your feedback, Email me any time: investik8@gmail.com
Kate Stewart is an unemployed, reluctant mother of three, running amok in the city ... approach with caution or cheesecake.
