The teenager sits on his front porch, having just finished cleaning and reloading his 20 gauge shotgun. The sun beats down giving life to the field of corn nearby and he breathes a sigh of contentment. Moments later, his ears pick up the sound of an engine and the crackle and crunch of gravel under tires. The sound of the engine is not loud enough to be the family truck and this fact is proven shortly as a sedan pulls clear of the corn on the gravel driveway to pull to a stop in front of the house.
The salesman looks from the vehicle to see a young man on the porch. Noting the shotgun in his hands, he hesitates. The boy gives a small, silent shake of his head that says this will not be a profitable stop. Steeling himself, the salesman calls upon his training and the sheer weight of his personality. No salesman worth his salt takes the first "no" as a final answer. Besides, the yea or nay should come from an adult. Shutting off the engine, the salesman opens the door of the vehicle and steps out to stand and wave a cheery greeting to the young man on the porch.
Without a word, the young man pumps the action on the shotgun, putting a shell into the chamber. His eyes lock with those of the salesman.
The salesman stops advancing. Choosing retreat as the better course of action, he returns to his vehicle and rapidly departs, leaving the young man to enjoy the peace of his porch on this summer day. Some conversations require no words at all.
This scenario brought to you courtesy of my friends Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson.
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