nancy reagan had it right in the 80's. just say no. of course, she was talking about drugs. i'm talking about saying no to people and requests. sounds easy, right? it isn't.
it all starts innocently enough. all our weekends are free in december. wanna go to this party? sure, we have nothing else going on. then, we tack on another event. then one of us volunteers to help someone out. then we agree to go someplace which results in a grand orchestration of travel plans, babysitters (you know who you are and we are eternally grateful) and arrangements which only the most sophisticated algebra equation could possibly illustrate to an outsider (and who the f- remembers algebra anyway?). before you know it, the snowball effect happens and we find ourselves scrambling to get it all done while still maintaining the rest of our crazy schedule.
then come in the other requests: from school, church, extra helping-out at work, would you mind doing me a favor, could i ask you to do something for our organization? could you kindly donate a pint of blood? got a spare kidney? are you using all of your liver? (yes i am. there is much wine in my future for the rest of the year so bugger off!)
lest you think me a whiner, today i did say no. i sold cookie dough last month for the 5th grade at the girl's school so they could take a senior trip this spring. a trip my kid isn't even going on. this afternoon they are raffling off holiday baskets for additional trip funds. so as we were racing to make it out the door, i stopped to fill out the tickets. i filled the first one out, then tore up the booklet. i'd finally had enough. i raised $158 dollars for the fifth grade to visit philadephia. if that isn't enough of a difference on my part, then i don't know what is.
i feel liberated!
it all starts innocently enough. all our weekends are free in december. wanna go to this party? sure, we have nothing else going on. then, we tack on another event. then one of us volunteers to help someone out. then we agree to go someplace which results in a grand orchestration of travel plans, babysitters (you know who you are and we are eternally grateful) and arrangements which only the most sophisticated algebra equation could possibly illustrate to an outsider (and who the f- remembers algebra anyway?). before you know it, the snowball effect happens and we find ourselves scrambling to get it all done while still maintaining the rest of our crazy schedule.
then come in the other requests: from school, church, extra helping-out at work, would you mind doing me a favor, could i ask you to do something for our organization? could you kindly donate a pint of blood? got a spare kidney? are you using all of your liver? (yes i am. there is much wine in my future for the rest of the year so bugger off!)
lest you think me a whiner, today i did say no. i sold cookie dough last month for the 5th grade at the girl's school so they could take a senior trip this spring. a trip my kid isn't even going on. this afternoon they are raffling off holiday baskets for additional trip funds. so as we were racing to make it out the door, i stopped to fill out the tickets. i filled the first one out, then tore up the booklet. i'd finally had enough. i raised $158 dollars for the fifth grade to visit philadephia. if that isn't enough of a difference on my part, then i don't know what is.
i feel liberated!
2 Comments:
BRAVO!!!
MOM
what'd you win? I have a big bottle of zinfindel waiting for you. You certainly have been busy.
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