A Service For 50,000

So. Two years ago, May 1, 2005 I was a very pregnant Erin in my home in Boise sitting with an interviewer and their laptop for over an hour answering difficult questions for the General Social Survey. This is the huge survey that they get most of the statistics that are used all of the time in news and magazines, by politicians etc. I got paid something like $40 bucks so I think I felt like it was interesting enough and I had done a good job. By giving my oh-so-humble-opinions I represented 50,000 fellow Americans opinions and I felt a sense of pride about that...seeing as all of my conservative views are the correct views anyway, lol.

Anyway, I had pretty much forgotten I had even done the survey until this past Saturday when Kennedy opened the door for a lady who *surprise!* would like to schedule a follow up Survey to see how my opinions had changed, if at all, over 2 years. At first I was like, 'how in the world did they find me?' and then I felt a little silly for not realizing this would be an ongoing thing I had committed to. At any rate the lady made an appointment to come back Monday. So last night there I sat with Agnetha (she is from Sweden) who self-consciously admits in her thick accent that this is actually the first time she has really given the Survey...have you read my blog long enough to know where I am going with this???

2 1/2 hours later Agnetha finished her first survey ever and she left me totally starving and mentally exhausted. 2 1/2 hours!!!! Sheesh. I had forgotten the type of questions they ask. While they are still fresh in my mind I will share a few, understanding that most questions have options for answers that you have to choose the closest one to what you think or experienced. They ask about where I grew up, estimated population, views of area. My parents education, work, Nathan and I's education, work, what social class I grew up in, how much Nathan and I made last year, religious views, questions about gender/race discrimination in jobs, my opinion of working mother's (a little difficult to answer when being asked by a working mother, btw. There was no option for mother's working once their children are in school or only working if necessary. No, it was more like "A mother's place is in the home" do you agree, or disagree with this statement?!), situations I feel abortion is acceptable, and a series of 3 questions about 3 different groups of people, Blacks, Homosexuals, and Communists within our community. I set up three surveys to the left that you can anonymously answer that are the same as what she asked me. I am curious to see if I represented my friends and family accurately.

They end the interview after they turn the laptop over to me and I privately answer super personal questions about my sexual preference, experiences, partner(s), birth control, have I ever been tested for Aids, etc. And since this interview took so long I was s-p-e-n-t by the time she left. But I feel a real responsibility to answer these questions properly to represent my beliefs...I hope I did a good job. And maybe I wouldn't mind if they couldn't find me two years from now...No, I actually believe it is important so I will endure...and then blog about it. :)