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Scared to Say Yes?


October can be scary! Not because of the ghosts and goblins that might be coming to your community to trick or treat, but because of requests from your residents who live there, when they ask you to try something out of your comfort zone. (And yes, this can happen any time of the year!)

A resident recently came to me to ask if I'd organize an outing to a local Oktoberfest. I shared my concerns for the group's safety on this trip because of the footing at the fairgrounds, the rowdiness of the crowd, and the ability to track down missing residents if they do not return to the bus at the scheduled time. My "final" decision was, no, I would not be organizing the trip for her.


After a few days, the resident came back to me and said that she would do all the research about the trip for me and bring it to me for another look. In addition to all her research, I also knew well enough that she was talking the trip up to her friends in the community so that the trip would be successful if I said yes and offered it to the community. 

As much as I know that my concerns are legitimate, it is my job to figure out a way to be able to say yes to the resident's request. After seeing the information that the resident brought to me, talking it over with her while I had a more open mind, and knowing that she and her husband had attended this festival in the past, I have agreed to organize the outing. I will be sure to promote it with a note that says "good walkers welcome" or something to that affect so that residents who may have mobility issues will be fair warned.

If there is something that you are being asked to do and you want to say no to it, dig deep into yourself, get the facts and look at as an opportunity to grow. I'm looking forward to taking the group to the Oktoberfest and I know that they will have a great time there.
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