I was asked to Substitute on Thursday. Then the person requested a change and asked me to substitute Tuesday. On Monday, the person asked me to wait and see, only to come back later and say, maybe it could be Thursday. He asked if I could wait and see, as he wasn’t sure what he needed.
Now, I have seen some people go really bananas about stuff like this. They get angry and do one of two things (or eventually all three of them in succession). They start grumbling under their breath about wasting time and not get a clear message. They complain loudly to anyone and everyone about how unfair it all is. They confront the person demanding an answer.
I understand all three of these reactions–except that I don’t. I have experienced all three of them and I have done all three of them. However, I now take a different tact. I communicate what I want. If I had something to do on those days, I would have turned the request down. If I really needed to know in advance and the person couldn’t give it to me, I would have turned them down. If someone else had asked me to work and had firm request, I would have taken the work and left that person hanging (assuming that I had explained the situation to them while I was patiently waiting).
As it was the person didn’t need me. I didn’t make any extra money, but I certainly enjoyed my day off. Patience, confidence, the ability to deal with things as they happen, and a day for me were all pretty amazing. I don’t know exactly where, but I am confident that Today’s Perfect Moment is in there somewhere.
If you liked this post, please check out these gems from my first year of blogging.
