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ALL HAIL THE
GREAT ORGANIZERS |
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With the holidays in full swing, it's time to give thanks to
those that make it happen. They're the unsung heroes who get us off the
couch, out of the house, and into the world around us.
They are the Certified Great Organizers (CGO), and they don't
get enough credit. I should know, because I'm one of them.
I'm not talking about one-on-one stuff. Almost everyone calls
a friend or a colleague for a lunch, or a dinner, or a visit. That's not
organizing, that's just plain day-to-day survival. You can't become a CGO
with that menial effort.
No, Certified Great Organizers go big. We're the ones who put
together groups of three or more for a sporting match, a meal, an outing,
or a party. We risk rejection at every turn, but we plow on. And we don't
get enough credit.
Without us, all of you non-organizers would be lonely,
out-of-shape couch potatoes, living lives devoid of athletic competition
and group camaraderie. But with us, you've got joie de vivre.
Becoming a CGO is not an easy task. It requires initiative,
enthusiasm, perseverance and a thick skin. Some are cut out for it, and
some are not. And some CGO's question whether the moniker is worth the
aggravation.
Consider Paddy, for example. Paddy is not his real name, but
it should be. He organizes a monthly golf and lunch outing for 10 or 12 of
his good friends, and he's been doing it for years. But it might not last
much longer.
"I'm at the end of my rope!" he said to me before last month's
outing. "If one more guy cancels on me, that's it! I'm done!!"
I had to talk him off the cliff. As a Certified Great
Organizer myself, I knew what he was going through. "You can't
quit!" I replied. "All these knuckleheads depend on you to add
some excitement to their sad little lives. They'd be faceless morons
without guys like me and you."
"I can't even get a response from two guys this
month," he continued. "I've texted them, emailed them, and
called them. Don't they realize it's a pain in the ass to organize these
things? What's wrong with these people?"
I shared his frustration. Nothing is more irritating than
organizing an event and then getting no response from an invitee. They
want you to chase them as they perhaps wait for a better offer. Or more
likely, they're just clueless as to the effort it takes to organize.
Paddy accepted the clueless theory, but it didn't ease his
thoughts about quitting. The late cancellations were putting him over the
top, even though the excuses for cancelling were apparently legitimate.
"Hang in there, big boy," I said soothingly.
"The world needs people like you and me. I certainly appreciate the
invite every time."
And I do. That's because I appreciate what a chore it can be
to organize a gathering. The only thing we Certified Great Organizers ask
is that invitees respond timely and don't cancel at the last minute
without a life-threatening illness. Is that too much to ask?
For many people, it apparently is. But if you're a Certified
Great Organizer, you just have to learn to roll with the punches, and
forge on.
I'm sure Paddy will recover. He loves people, loves having a
good time, and he knows that if he doesn't take the initiative and
organize events, those are the times that are lost forever.
I appreciate anyone who organizes anything. I can't always
go, and sometimes I simply don't want to go, but I always tell the
organizer that I appreciate the invitation. He or she is making life more
fun, more exciting, more meaningful.
If you're not a Certified Great Organizer, no problem. Most
people are not. Some can't handle the rejection, some can't handle the
anxiety, some can't handle the frustrations. It's okay to wait for the
invitation from others.
Just be glad the Certified Great Organizers are out there.
Consider becoming one, and if not, appreciate the effort it takes to be a
CGO, and treat their invites with respect. That's all we ask. |
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