(Everyone at her job is going to see the Mets play tomorrow as some sort of team-building/bonding experience.)
Kirk: Hmm... I dunno. (After several hours of hemming and hawing) OK.
Why the hesitation?
- I don't know anyone at her work, so that'd be odd.
- I'm not that into baseball. The first and last time I went to see a game was probably in the early '90s, some Florida Marlins exhibition game.
- There's a good chance it'll rain in the afternoon (it's raining RIGHT NOW), and as we all know, I'm made of sugar and will die if I get caught in the rain.
- Fear of the unknown.
Why say yes?
- So I can blog about it later.
- I've been told the new stadium is really nice and awesome.
- They have Shake Shack there.
- I want to meet Mr. Met. I really, genuinely do. Like, for serious, I really, really, really want to meet him and shake his hand.
Posts
"Why say yes?"
ReplyDeleteBecause it's the point of this blog, no? Did the whole spirit of the thing expire after the "Year of Yes"? If so, the name of this blog is misleading.
Let's Yes FAIL!
Why say no?
ReplyDeleteThe main reason, maybe downplayed in this entry, is because I didn't want to spend money on something I didn't really want to do. The reasons listed above (Shake Shack, Mr. Met, etc.) were not worth the cost of the ticket. I ended up giving a hesitant yes because it might be a curiosity or amusement worth trying.
In case you've forgotten, this blog is about saying yes to things I'd normally back out of due to laziness or fear, not disinterest or money.
For example, if you suggested I kayak down the East River, I'd say no and have no problem doing so, because that's something I don't want to do at all. Likewise, I would decline a vacation to Iceland because it's not economically viable, even with their low, low rates.
This blog isn't the equivalent of Jim Carrey's Yes Man, where he says yes to every suggestion thrown his way. If that's what you're looking for, I suggest you watch that instead of reading this blog. However, it got a 43% on RottenTomatoes.com, so it might not be as delightful as the poster implies.
(Incidentally, I ended up being uninvited to the game - they gave the extra ticket to a future employee of the company.
The Mets beat the Rockies, 7-0, but lost the second game of the double-header, 2-4. The ticket was for the first game.)
"In case you've forgotten, this blog is about saying yes to things I'd normally back out of due to laziness or fear, not disinterest or money.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if you suggested I kayak down the East River, I'd say no and have no problem doing so, because that's something I don't want to do at all. Likewise, I would decline a vacation to Iceland because it's not economically viable, even with their low, low rates."
I think you should analyze why you would say no to a kayak trip down the East River as "something I don't want to do at all." Because it would be because you think it would be "yucky"? Isn't that just fear realized in a specific way?
Also, if something is completely economically impossible, should it even be an entry in this blog? I mean, such blog entries would ultimately just end with "but this is impossible to do since I cannot afford it", so there doesn't seem to be a reason to even entertain the idea. (Since it isn't even relevant to what you state your idea for the blog is.) If a Mets game was economically impossible to do, why have an entry since you already know you cannot possibly do it.
Ultimately, if you can possibly (economically) do something, but don't "want to"... it is best to investigate why not. And if the reason is the vague "because I just don't want to at all", I would venture to guess that ultimately the reasoning WOULD be a version of fear/laziness.
I think, what I would find most interesting would be this kind of process:
1) An offer to do something (that is economically possible) is made.
2) Your reaction to that offer.
3) If YES, then description of the event.
4) If NO, then an investigation of why you reaction negatively.
5) hopefully a realization that your negative reaction was a ultimately a result of fear/laziness (laziness being a manifestation of fear)
6) A reversal to saying YES as a result of finding out it was all about your fear, then description of the event.
In this Met game example, you literally list reasons "no" that are totally based on fear, yet there is no attempt to investigate those. Because those are probably the same reactions/reasons you might not do a lot of things.
Let us see your journey from a fearful "No" person into a less fearful "Yes" person!
Let's YES!
It's interesting you mention such a process, because that's what this entry might have been like (had the ticket offer not been rejected): First entry includes receiving the offer, feeling hesitant, but ultimately saying yes. Then a second entry recapping the scenario.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I could use more self-analysis in these entries, so let's start with the hypothetical kayaking one.
I disagree that I'd say no out of fear. I'm just not into kayaking, it's not one of my interests. That's my main reason. Why am I not interested in kayaking? I don't care for most sports/exercise. Why not? I guess I'm lazy and don't enjoy sweating! It's true. And yet, the other day I was talking to someone about white water rafting and I was like, "Ooh, I wanna do that!"
What's the difference, in my opinion, between kayaking and white water rafting? I find one uninteresting and the other interesting. Life is like a huge marketplace, Laughing Cow, full of wonderful things. But I'm only gonna look at what captures my eye or imagination. The other stuff (kayaking) might be for other people, but not for me. I've been in a canoe before, it wasn't that awesome, I don't feel the need to repeat the experience unless there's white water involved. I don't have the time/money/desire to explore things that I don't hold some appeal for me.
The other stuff, especially if it's "That caught my eye, but it might be weird, should I do it?" that's what I'm interested in blogging about.
As for money, I don't blog about the billions of things I'd do if I could, but there are also hundreds (or thousands!) of things that fall into the category "Well, I guess I could probably afford it... but should I?"
If the answer is no, I usually don't blog about it, for the reasons you mentioned. Just not a good story.
But here's an example of Economic Yes: Buying tickets to that Distant World concert, despite being a bit scared to go to a city for the first time. Or ( something I haven't blogged about) buying Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game (though the fear in this goes into maybe never getting to play it and wasting $50).
Finally, regarding the Mets, my friends go to baseball games all the time. I never join them, it's something I'm not interested in seeing. Other than roller derby, I don't really like sports! I find them kind of boring.
If I'm unlikely to go to a ballgame with my friends, why would I go with a group of strangers? And then the twist - I actually would, just 'cause Sarah asked and I'm impressionable like that.
When people ask me to do something, if I've got the time and money and interest, I'll usually say yes, even if it means helping them move... or play Battlestar Galactica!
"I disagree that I'd say no out of fear. I'm just not into kayaking, it's not one of my interests. That's my main reason. Why am I not interested in kayaking? I don't care for most sports/exercise. Why not? I guess I'm lazy and don't enjoy sweating! It's true. And yet, the other day I was talking to someone about white water rafting and I was like, "Ooh, I wanna do that!""
ReplyDeleteI find this interesting because I believe what you've just said is what the blog SHOULD be investigating. I think most of the boos and protests I write in the comments are in response to entries where the only real information we get is "eh, I don't like it" without any information or investigation or process. WHY don't you like it? WHY wouldn't you give it a shot, even if a previous similar (but not exactly identical) experience wasn't a great one? WHY don't you like to sweat? WHY are you so lazy?
Shouldn't the point be to get to the bottom of why you would say NO to something and ultimately get around to saying YES to more things? If, as you stated, that it's more about how selective you are, it really isn't a blog that is about enthusiastic YESes, more about selective Maybes.
I actually would still argue the Kayaking example is still based on fear. When you tunnel down, it's about not liking Sports (which should be investigated), why you don't like to sweat, why you are lazy, and so forth. There is a root to those "not likings" that are ultimately based in some fear. What that might be... only you know. But it would be a benefit to you to find out and for us to share in that investigation.
Ultimately any blog entry that has you saying NO without extensive examination about why NO will be frustrating and ultimately not interesting. The only real relevant entries would be those where you said YES and talked about it or even more interestingly... those you said NO to initially and investigated throughly (and hopefully ultimately said YES to.) All the NO's without elaboration are deserving of Boos.
In your last comment, you've already elaborated on the Distant World concert, the Mets game, the Kayaking (although not enough on all of them) which, in reality, is what should be in your blog entries to begin with.
I'l reiterate that if the point of the blog is to highlight your selectivity, then it really is not named particularly well.
We are all trying to overcome our fear and be more brave, more optimistic, more open people. (See Albert Brooks' movie "Defending Your Life" for a fun fictional example of this.) Your hemming and hawing about saying Yes is natural. But we... and I think the REAL point of this blog... is wanting to see you overcome fear/laziness and just DO IT.
To say "well, that's not the point of the blog" seems to be a copout...because I think we all know what you're trying to do... and we're all trying to do the same thing.
I feel like we're talking in circles.
ReplyDeleteFor future posts, I'll try and dig a little deeper. When you're unsatisfied, feel free to voice your opinion.
Ultimately, though, I can't please everyone (nor do I try), and if this blog isn't what you want it to be, such is life!
just say YES!
ReplyDelete