Sep 10 2009
If Opportunity Knocks, Will You Know It? - Day 22/30
Earlier this week, I ran into a friend of mine who is and has been the facilitator for our local monthly writing group. He does an awesome job with this group and puts a lot of thought and prep into each meeting. He announced not too long ago that he was planning to “retire” from the group, as he’s been running it for the last six or so years. I had asked him if anyone had offered to take over the group and he said no. I then, without even realizing it, took the opportunity and told him I would take the group.
That in itself does sound exciting. After climbing the stairs to my apartment though, I realized that I had just made a commitment to something that goes out further than a month. I had just committed myself to be at a certain time and certain place every month. People would be looking up to me. They would be counting on me. My first thought, was “WHY? Did. I. Do. That!”
It’s not that I have anything against commitment per se, but rather, I don’t (or didn’t) have a commitment to the community I live in. You see, I’ve been sort of counting down the days when I could move to a different area. There’s nothing wrong with this community - it really does offer a little bit of everything. The emphasis is on little.
It’s a great place to raise a family or even just have a partner in life - not such a great place for a single gal who prefers original bands at least once a week, not once a season. Art is to be appreciated many times over the course of the year, not just in the spring. And while I do love Italian, Chinese, and Mexican food, I know there is so much more out there to discover and explore.
So I had been plotting my escape from the moment I unpacked the u-haul. The plan was this:
- Try and get involved with the community so you can honestly say you gave it a fair shot.
- Done. Went through the extensive leadership training program for the “leaders” of our community and met a lot of nice people. Also was involved in the community theater and am still actively involved with both the writing group and the monthly open mic.
- Get my daughter involved in extra-curricular activities and through high school alive.
- Done. Proud parent of then band geek and now college student.
- Create a self-sustaining income that will allow me to travel in and out of the country, exploring places to live.
- Work in progress - enough said.
Now, I sit here and wonder if this opportunity is really an opportunity. Does it really fit with what I want in my life? How can we know if opportunities presented to us are really ones that will enrich us? So that is what tonight’s post is about - how do we know if an opportunity is one of growth, or one of stagnation? Is a pro/con list enough to decide? As much as I’d like to be offering the tidbits, I’m really hoping you all will let me know what you think of this one.
