Playing Fair
It was because I sought to rectify one of my pet peeves: not being fair.
And another name I use for “being fair” is “taking turns.”
A long time ago, while I was single, I took a Parent Effectiveness Training (PET) class. One of the cardinal rules was DON’T COMPROMISE
Instead, TAKE TURNS.
The Way It Works
Instead of you and your wife deciding on a “compromise” movie that neither will likely like, take turns going to movies that each partner likes.
The partner who claims he/she doesn’t like the movie can either sleep, gobble popcorn or find things in the movie he or she does like (sometimes it’s even the entire movie).
So, what triggered my volunteering at the square dance club?
Not Fair
A well-intentioned gentleman in the club asked selected members to devote a month to bringing snacks.
When another club member mentioned to me that he would be in charge of bringing snacks for a month, I thought: Unfair.
Why not expect that each “regularly attending” member bring a different snack each week.
Planning a Chart
I thought: Why not develop a Food Plan Chart that could inform three-member teams what type of food they need to bring, and when, and would allow them to call other members to switch duties if they cannot make it to the class or dance. This became the Food Plan Chart.
All members of the club were notified that if they were not deemed to be “regularly attending” members, they were still loved, and still encouraged to ask to have their names added to the Food Plan Chart.
All Is Well
What fun it is square dancing, AND meeting friendly people at (and away from) the snack table, AND volunteering to do something you feel satisfies one of your pet peeves.
