I’ve had fun today, jumping into the car and heading off to meet some people I have never met before, turning up on their doorsteps unannounced and asking for a certain favour from them, which in all cases I got. The power of asking…….. and all of this because of a woman I couldn’t get hold of, from a man I know a little bit, whose daughter is friendly with her.
Its all a bit vague at the moment, and may well turn to dust ( or shit?) but if I don’t do it then it certainly will remain as nothing.
You don’t get if you don’t ask, and even if you don’t get what you ask for, you may get something as good, and in some cases, better.
The woman in question is known only by a name and a mobile number. I don’t know where she lives or what she wants exactly, except for one specific thing, which I am happy to supply for her. The guy who is the man I know a little doesn’t want to supply her with it, although she asked him specifically for it, and he has asked me if I will do it instead. When I heard what it was I was more than happy to comply, and he gave me her mobile number, since then I have tried regularly to contact her to no avail, the phone goes straight to the messaging service, so I wonder if she has it permanently turned off, or maybe is away on holiday abroad somewhere without a signal. I shall keep trying though and have sent her a text message explaining why I am offering her what she actually asked him for. When I rang the man who I know a little and told him my predicament he was as helpful as he could be and said “It’s never easy is it!” and I ruefully agreed.
And that in turn has got me thinking, that she may have other friends who also may want the same thing.
So, armed with my hand written list I headed out into the surrounding countryside to find strangers to ask them for favours. The first one I didn’t need to check where it was since the place in question was easily found, and after parking the car, and knocking on one of two possible doors a guy came out, I smiled, and told him who I was and what I wanted, and he nodded that he could assist me in my request. Five minutes later I was heading off in a new direction looking for the next place, being confident that if I couldn’t find it easily I would set the sat nav to sniff it out. The village I was looking for wasn’t a place I had even heard of, let alone been to, so I just let my nose and intuition find the place for me, not helped by the fact that one of the roads I thought looked most likely had a “road ahead closed” sign blocking the way, and sure enough when I resorted to the sat nav, that was indeed the case, not helped by the fact that there was a mini digger and large hole right infront of the roadway I wanted! I managed to gently sidle past them, and headed down the dry and dusty road ahead, finding the place I wanted at the end of it, and being greeted by two large and vocal dogs when I got out of the car. As I walked on hoping the dogs were friendly a lot of curious heads turned to look at me, wondering who the stranger was, and I walked on, nodding at each in turn, til I got to the end, then did a right turn looking for a helpful someone to give me what my heart desired, they in turn pointed to another building further on, and of the three women in there one was able to guide me to the place I sought. Hav
ing arrived at my destination, and been given the impression by the guy who started all this off that I would be a sole participant, I found that others had been before me, and left their mark for others to follow. Ok, well, lets see if I can guide any my way too. And off, into the unknown again, sat nav definitely set for the next one, and a few miles on I found the sign telling me of the place I sought, and of the two men there one was the one I needed for my request. And from there I headed for the next place but when I arrived at what the sat nav said was my destination I looked around blankly at it and said out loud “I don’t think so!” this is a school, and headed back home to check on the computer for confirmation – and as it turned out, it was the right place although it certainly didn’t look like it so I might have to go back and try again.
That has been my day. Turning up on strangers doorsteps to ask a favour from them. And they all said yes, which was a good result.
There are other names on my list for another day, and I shall try those in turn.
And will hopefully get hold of the woman who contacted the man I know a little and say that he isn’t wanting to do the horse portrait that she asked him for, but I will do it instead. And hope that the various stables I have visited today will put up the posters I have taken advertising me as an artist painting horse portraits and that I may get some commissions from them.