For a while, I was in my “just say yes” era. If an opportunity sounded interesting and a little frightening, I tried to say yes before I could talk myself out of it. After years of avoiding things outside my comfort zone, I wanted to find out what might happen if I stopped letting nerves make every decision for me.
That is how, in the same week, I agreed to host a “hole” for Sutton’s Wacky Golf fundraiser and speak to students at Career Day.
Both sounded fun when I said yes. Later, the questions arrived.
What does a Wacky Golf hole need? What should I say to students about a career path that looks like somebody kept changing the destination halfway through the trip? And why am I apparently more comfortable asking other people questions than standing in front of a room answering them?
Wacky Golf was a particularly easy thing to say yes to. It’s a creative community fundraiser, and hosting a stop sounded like a good way to take part. I like seeing people find unusual ways to bring a town together. I also liked that I could be involved without having to demonstrate any actual golfing ability. That seemed like an important qualification to establish.
Career Day made me more nervous. I was supposed to speak for about ten minutes, and the subject was my own work. You would think I could manage that without much preparation. I have, after all, been present for every part of my life.
The difficulty was deciding which parts to tell.
I didn’t go to college. For years I worked in banking, accounting and administrative jobs. Around 40, I started a catering business, which eventually led to work as a private chef for a winery. Later, I owned restaurants. Now I’m a reporter.
When you put those jobs in a list, they don’t look much like steps on a ladder. Some things I learned in one job helped with the next. Other things I had to learn from the beginning, sometimes while hoping nobody could tell how new I was at them.
That was what I wanted the students to hear. At their age, I would not have guessed where my work would take me. I don’t expect them to know everything they want to do, either. The person speaking to them about journalism was still learning how to do it.
I’m glad I agreed to both things. Hosting a Wacky Golf hole gave me another chance to be part of what was happening in Sutton. Speaking at the school gave me a chance to look at my winding work history and see that it might be useful to somebody else.
My “just say yes” era has been good for me. Without it, I might have found reasons to stay home or let someone else take the speaking spot. But I’ve learned that I can be open to new things and still ask what I’m getting into.
So I’m moving into my “ask qualifying questions and then make a decision” era. What will I be doing? How much time should I allow? Do I need to bring anything? Will there be a microphone? Will anybody expect me to know how to golf?
I’m still willing to try something new, even when it makes me nervous. I’d simply like a few details before I agree to one more thing.
