bravery.

i acquired a bracelet while on sabbatical from atlanta this past weekend. it says "love life" and on the back it says "be brave." it's a simple bracelet, but i am a huge fan of it. (mainly bracelets in general, but in particular this one...for right now at least...)

working for a small company involves a lot of bravery. you have to face your fears, stand up for what is right, and most of all follow your dreams. with that being said, i have had to face a lot of fears in the past two years. i am not afraid of much, mainly irrational things (snakes, spiders, jetskis...), but some things are intimidating and quite scary around here. people in general scare me a bit. i am an extremely nervous and awkward person (it's okay, i've embraced it...). it's my quirk, we've all got them, now you just have to figure out how to live with them.

facing my fears was something that was immediately apparent to me that had to be done. i'm still not great at some things, like say the phone, but i am working on them. i have gotten better at my interpersonal skills, but the problem lies in when people become pushy. i have learned to channel that frustration elsewhere, but sometimes i get overwhelmed. (hence the sabbatical).

being awkward has it's perks though. i am not above the awkward stare down or the awkward pause, they just don't bother me. some people however cannot handle them, and that is where i hone my awkwardyness (?) skills.

i have learned through many trials and tribulations however that most of the time people do not take what i say seriously. they want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth...ahem, darwin's mouth. i mean i get it, i sound like i am twelve, and i look about as smart as oh i don't know a bale of hay, but seriously. i am very smart, and i know an inordinate amount about wood (oh let the jokes just roll on in on that one...). i don't claim to know everything (okay, you got me there, i am italian, so i know everything or at least can make something up), but if you stop and listen to what i have said and then listen to was said horse says, they are one in the same.

so here is a little adventure in purchasing tires for a F-350 dually. it goes a little something like this...

"hey dot."
"hmm."
"can you drive the dually to kauffman and get new tires please? they have already been ordered. we only need two. tell them to use the front tires as the outer tires on the back and put the new tires on the front."
"mmkay. sure sure, whatever."

driving along in massive vehicle in the ghetto...HARK what is that i see and hear? a nice african american gentleman singing to me. SINGING! a little diddy something like this: "white girl in the ghetto. she's driving a big ole truck. white girl in the ghetto. she should be an ad for trucks..." PHENOMENAL! i love being serenaded in the ghetto. makes my heart flutter all crazy like.

moving forward. kauffman tire. -

"umm, hi my boss called in some tires for that rig over there." (pointing and looking ensues).
"sure sure.." computer pitter patter...after much confusing, tires have been located....GEE WHIZ.

now here is where the fun really begins...

"okay, i want you to take the two new tires and put them on the front of the truck. take those front tires and put them on the back outside tires..." -simple enough?-
"so new tires on the back, back to front and dispose front."
"um, no." re-explain.
"right, that's what i said..."
"i don't think so. i just want to make sure it's right." now the hand motions, with descriptions get involved...
"oh okay, i see what you mean now." FINALLY

i leave kauffman and then get a phone call. the front tires don't fit on the back...what? hold on, hold on, talk to darwin...darwin - did you take them off and remount them on the back? like take them off the wheel hub? oh uh, no no i did not. IDIOTS. mainly because these wheel hubs are completely different from front to back....

case in point. hook line and sinker. signed, sealed, delivered. all of those euphemisms apply here...

like running a three ring circus. so be brave, stand your ground, face your fears. that's the mantra i keep on repeat these days. it's tough (i highly recommend the occasional sabbatical), but somebody has got to do it right?