As some of you know, I run a charity that helps fund a fabulous school in Ghana, West Africa. We are very small and have two fund-raisers per year. They always occur at the busiest time of the school calendar year just by chance. (OK, I organize them but I"m at the mercy of school and festive calendars.)
In May we have a sponsored walk which is getting bigger and bigger each year. It coincides with the end of the school year (early June) and the world's biggest garage/jumble sale, (week after) which I also co-chair. You'd think I'd learn wouldn't you?
This weekend we have a great fund-raiser for small kids, which involves me stuffing lots of sweeties into lots of goodies bags, bringing logo t-shirts and other stuff to sell, printing off sign-in sheets, and all manner of administration stuff. Very exciting and adrenalin rushing, but also not quite the thing one needs in the run-up to the Christmas break - the same week the Ball & Chain has just announced he will be in London. In London of all places. (If he so much as phones me while he's out wassailing with one of MY friends, I swear the divorce petition will hit him on his way back across the Atlantic.)
Anyway, - to my post title - ('cause I know you've been wondering if there's an end in sight). I can do this rushing-about stuff every now and then. I can do it even betterer when not distracted by a severe lack of Xmas-presents-purchased.
However, I'm not sure I could do it as a full time job, you know, like one of those personal assistants whose lives are constant fire-fighting.
Or maybe it's because I'm just too darn old now?
I used to have a job that felt like firefighting all the time - chasing deadlines and catching trains and 12-14 hour days. I felt I had electricity in by veins instead of blood and was always surprised the mirrow showed my hair lying flat instead of the usual electrified cartoon. I've been retired now for four years and I'm so calm I'm barely conscious. I don't know if it's a sign of old age or good sense, but I wouldn't willingly chase deadlines like that ever again. I like to think I could if I wanted/needed to, but I really hope that day never comes. Once in a while for a good cause? Maybe.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Most of my jobs were go, go, go and one boss was a complete bee-atch who had us in at 7am and then would insist on us all coming out for cocktails when we'd finish at 7pm. (She had no life outside of work.) On the plus side, I was pretty slim!!!
ReplyDeleteOne friend who is a major fundraiser for a kid's charity here says they have a party at someone's house, get a person who benefits from the charity to speak (might be tricky when charity thing is in another land) and then ask people to reach deep as they can. Apparently people write cheques for double the amount they used to.$1,000 rather than $500. Just by asking... not sure if I have the confidence to do that though.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't believe how pushy you can be when it's for a worthy cause. I don't really harass people; ask once and then move on, altho' when friends know how passionate I am about helping these kids, they tend to help out. Plus they know where their money's going and that there's not a lot spent on anything like PR, admin or whatever. We have no overheads.
ReplyDeleteAnd people surprise me every day. For the event this weekend, a major art chain store has donated all the supplies, a local pizza company is supplying lunch etc. So I've learned two things - be patient (sometimes it takes years for things to come through) and don't be afraid to ask. They can only say "no".
I think it's wonderful that you volunteer to do this stuff, especially since it happens at such a stressful time of year. However, I don't think I could handle something like that these days. As a teacher and a parent, it's rare for me to make it through December or May without some sort of a mild meltdown as it is. Can't imagine adding something like that to my plate. Hats off to you, my dear!
ReplyDeleteHats are off over here too Expat Mum! Hope it all goes really well.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a brilliant thing you're doing, but I know how you feel about the timing. I agreed, in a foolish moment, to help Rory's old school with their teachers' panto this week, operating the sound desk. No idea what I'm meant to be doing and I really could do without it!
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