Take Chances! Make Mistakes! Get Messy!

I need to get a chameleon and drive a bus. Source

It is not an easy thing to go outside of one's comfort zone, but that's the only way you're ever going to truly live your life, I think. If you always play it safe, nothing interesting ever happens to you and life can get pretty boring. As Miss Frizzle was famous for saying, we must "Take Chances! Make Mistakes! Get Messy!". As of late, I have been doing just that, and so far, I have been very pleased with the results. This is not limited to the Mary Kay party and the spouse's club. I don't really know that all that is what I'm looking for out of life anyway. I am talking about really putting myself out there and taking some risks. Maybe not big risks, but still, things that make me feel good and add an element of excitement to my life.

Yesterday, I was driving to see j^C at work when I noticed the local "homeless" man in his wheelchair on the side of the road. He was holding a sign that said "WATER". Since I wasn't in a hurry, I stopped at a Handy Way up the road and bought 2 gallons of water for him. I have seen this man several times since moving to Richmond Hill, but it was usually at the other end of town. He has a huge growth, probably as big as his head, on the left side of his neck. He is always sitting in a wheelchair with a wagon-like contraption attached to it which I assume contains all of his worldly possessions. I have often wondered where he sleeps, but I assume that it's rude to ask.

After buying the water I drove back several miles in order to deliver it. When I pulled off the road, the man looked very happy to see me, and told me in a not unpleasant voice to set the jugs down on the ground next to the wheel chair. I did just that, and before I could get back in my car he very politely asked me if I wouldn't buy him some cigarettes. My first inclination was to say "No." and leave, but I noticed that he was pulling some money out of a change purse. He handed me $12 and told what to get and from where. How could I refuse? So, off I went with his money to buy his smokes. After I was inside the Gas Station I realized I didn't have my ID, but the man behind the counter said not to worry about it. I don't know if that was illegal or not, but I'm not too worried since I wasn't buying them for me anyway. The cigarettes were then purchased and delivered without incident. He thanked me and I smiled and told him to have a good day, which kind of seems like a dumb thing to say to a homeless person, but since he seemed to be happy with his water and his cigarettes, I didn't know what else to say. So, I got back in my car and left, hoping that I had brightened his day. Part of me wonders if I could do more, but the other part of me says that if he needed more, maybe he would have asked. If ever I see him again, maybe I will ask.

Strangely, taking things to the homeless man was not the big chance I took this week. That just seems like the decent and right thing to have done, and so I did it. No, the truly daring thing I did this week was done of Facebook: I reached out to people I had lost contact with. I know that sounds so insignificant, but it's really a hard thing for me. I always feel guilty for having let the relationship wither on the vine, so I don't reach out for fear of rejection. "That J, she's got a lot of nerve contacting me after all these years!" That's always what I expect, but I am happy to say that's not the reaction I got at all. The people I wrote to were happy to hear from me and wrote me long and enthusiastic responses! I just read them a few minutes ago, and it really made my day, let me tell you. The world feels a little less cold now. Even if none of my friend-making efforts yield a profit here in Georgia, I can rest assured that I have lots of other people who like me. Maybe Facebook isn't the devil, after all. We just have to remember to use it's power for good instead of evil.

Speaking of my friend-making efforts, I have really put my neck out in that arena this week as well. I mentioned in the last post that I took on the Organizer's position for the Spouse's book club (Which apparently is called "The Book Bunch"). Now I have 4 happy readers under my care and I have assigned the first book: Dragonwyck by Anya Seton. If any of you out there would like to read along, please do! We can discuss it here at the end of the month! I hope that in taking on this added responsibility I will at least feel like I am doing something worthwhile with my time. I also hope that I don't alienate my members with my English major insights. I want it to be fun, but I also want everyone to be challenged. What's the point of reading, if not to "broaden our minds"?

I don't know what other chances, mistakes, or messes I can get into right now, but I am making it a point to seize the opportunity when it presents itself.

Do you often go outside of your comfort zone? If so, have your efforts been fruitful? What do you think about me helping the homeless man?