I have been very sheltered since coming to the US. My primary interactions have been at work where I've been surrounded by a fairly homogenous group of people so that I pretty much know what to expect. Now, having to work with volunteers (other parents), it's a whole different ball game. Even simple things, increases in complexity and risk of failure by 40-fold (..that sounded kinah nice)!
This is just the ongoing evolution of me adjusting to the new life. I was very ambitious this past summer - now that I have some time in my day, I volunteered to co-host a baby shower, for a friend, with my friend's neighbor. Well, it started off pretty well, but my co-host felt very strongly that the baby shower should be in a place with "atmosphere". Personally I thought no 3rd party venue would have a better "atmosphere" than an intimate tea-party in someone's home with close friends, but I let her take the lead on that.
After insisting that she had a way of contacting me when I went out of town for vacation, she proceeded to do nothing for the next two weeks. She didn't even check email. Ok..no problem.
She blithely informed me that "we" could get there 1/2 hour earlier and set-up (I wasn't able to). As it turned out, I made it with 5 minutes to spare (despite having gotten lost of course) but my co-host, the one who told me "we" could get there 1/2 hour earlier, was in fact 1/2 hour late, so I had to wing it at the venue. Aargh!! However, despite the less-than-auspicious beginning, the shower went fine and the guest of honor enjoyed it, so in the end that was all that mattered.
Since then, I've worked with other folks - parents at Lucas' school. I volunteered to help with snacks for a weekly after-school activity. I let the organizers know what I had in mind, in case they had any objections. It turned out that some snacks I bought wouldn't work after all because they were too messy or sticky. Ok..No problem. (I am learning to roll with the confusion and lack of clarity). I needed additional input from a parent, who had a child with allergies, to figure out other appropriate snacks. I think I tried to ask her to give me a list of snacks that would work for her kid three different times in three different ways...didn't work. She did however respond positively all three times that she was willing to help anyway she could!
I have to keep reminding myself that one thing may mean different things to different people, and likewise, I may not hear what they said or may be completely off base!...Ah well...I'm in the real world now, sheltered no more I am. I look at this as ongoing training for when/if I decide to re-enter the working world.
This is just the ongoing evolution of me adjusting to the new life. I was very ambitious this past summer - now that I have some time in my day, I volunteered to co-host a baby shower, for a friend, with my friend's neighbor. Well, it started off pretty well, but my co-host felt very strongly that the baby shower should be in a place with "atmosphere". Personally I thought no 3rd party venue would have a better "atmosphere" than an intimate tea-party in someone's home with close friends, but I let her take the lead on that.
After insisting that she had a way of contacting me when I went out of town for vacation, she proceeded to do nothing for the next two weeks. She didn't even check email. Ok..no problem.
She blithely informed me that "we" could get there 1/2 hour earlier and set-up (I wasn't able to). As it turned out, I made it with 5 minutes to spare (despite having gotten lost of course) but my co-host, the one who told me "we" could get there 1/2 hour earlier, was in fact 1/2 hour late, so I had to wing it at the venue. Aargh!! However, despite the less-than-auspicious beginning, the shower went fine and the guest of honor enjoyed it, so in the end that was all that mattered.
Since then, I've worked with other folks - parents at Lucas' school. I volunteered to help with snacks for a weekly after-school activity. I let the organizers know what I had in mind, in case they had any objections. It turned out that some snacks I bought wouldn't work after all because they were too messy or sticky. Ok..No problem. (I am learning to roll with the confusion and lack of clarity). I needed additional input from a parent, who had a child with allergies, to figure out other appropriate snacks. I think I tried to ask her to give me a list of snacks that would work for her kid three different times in three different ways...didn't work. She did however respond positively all three times that she was willing to help anyway she could!
I have to keep reminding myself that one thing may mean different things to different people, and likewise, I may not hear what they said or may be completely off base!...Ah well...I'm in the real world now, sheltered no more I am. I look at this as ongoing training for when/if I decide to re-enter the working world.
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