Third time lucky

Yesterday I found a white hair. Right there, front and center on my head a coarse, white hair. I tend to grow these hairs in times of stress. In the past, I have even been able to mark times of stress by my white hairs. Like a tree ring marks times of drought and flood, when the period of stress passes so the root returns to black and life goes on as normal. In middle school and high school, during some not so fun emotional times in my life, I had white hairs. In parts of college during some also not so fun emotional times they were there. Funnily enough I survived white hair free during obvious times of stress such as the 2007-2009 period where I finished my masters, planned a wedding, got married, bought and renovated a house, and buried my father, my grandfather, and my step-mother. Yet here it is again, my friend the white hair. And why? One word. Fundraising.

Third trip… started.

Location…Washington, DC

Team members…Orlando (Puerto Rico), Julio (Brazil), Ju Hee (South Korea), Tae (South Korea)

The last two weeks were, admittedly, stressful. I was sick and tired of the usual round of store calling, dreading with all my being another two week trip, and worried that as a team we would not meet goal. As of a week and half ago, after spending two straight days calling over 200 stores, I had not booked one single store. Mainly because with the holiday season coming up stores have their own charities they support. Thanks a lot Salvation Army and Girl Scouts. Stress levels were real high because, being the ‘fundraising coordinator’ (partly self appointed) I felt solely responsible for the success or failure of my team. Totally ridiculous but so the story goes. If you are going to do something, do it right, right?

Anyway, long story short, our luck turned and we look set to have a good two weeks. There is every reason that my team at least will be able to make goal, which is a good feeling. And after standing in front of a Sam’s Club in VA for 8 hours yesterday my body doesn’t hurt nearly as bad as at this stage during the last two trips so that is also a good sign that I am getting used to this sort of thing. Not that I want to get used to this sort of thing…

Will update soon.