Tell

March 28, 2010

Some of you revealed (in public comments or private emails) whether you asked or guessed (see last Sunday's entry). Others of you wanted to know where I stood on Ask/Guess. I believed, when I wrote the entry, I was an "guesser" evidenced by my lack of salesmanship. I think people who are natural-born sales people, have that "no harm in asking" approach to life. I look at myself when I'm at a lanyard workshop and have to laugh at how protective I am of everyone's right to beg off buying a lanyard. I hardly even like to suggest the option.

On the other hand, I don't have much of a problem asking my friends to donate shoes or garage sale items for good causes. In fact, my current ask is for youth soccer uniforms. I have a friend who is helping someone who is forming children's soccer leagues in Egypt and will take all sizes and colors of soccer uniforms. Let me know if you are ready to get rid of all those old polyester jerseys and the drawer full of black shorts and thick knee socks you have accumulated.

Someone suggested I may have truncated the options by limiting the choice to ask or guess. Instead, I should have included "tell" to account for those people who neither "ask" for a favor, nor attempt to "guess" whether the target person is amenable to the "ask." Instead, they just read the situation and start telling people what to do. I think the person who suggested this thought I fit into that category. Surely, they jest.