Ask and Ye Shall Receive

I have always had a problem asking for what I want, and even more, accepting it once I receive it. However, I've had to learn to do that within Slant of Light. If a friend offers to buy me dinner, I can say, "No! I've got it." If someone offers to give my company a donation, I must shut up and say, "Thank you." It's a learning curve, the getting comfortable with this "acceptance."

Last night I attended a Board of Director's meeting for the Greenfield Hill Grange, the space where we held our performance last weekend. It's a wonderful space, an old house with wide open rooms, a kitchen, a stage upstairs, parking lot...amazing....old...full of charm, personality, and history. I have been attending these Board meetings for the past 6 months in hopes of joining the Board and having Slant of Light become more active with this organization, and utilizing the space for our events.

So I'm sitting there last night, and when they got to "New Business" I handed them our check from our last show, and presented my proposal for using the space for our next show. We then brought up that since heat would not be utilized (as it is in August), perhaps there could be a break in the rent. I was met by "YES" on both accounts. Sitting there a few moments later, happy with our prospective space, I suddenly had an idea. We are looking for a space for our New Play Reading Series. This building would be perfect. And then we would be consolidating several Slant of Light projects into one building, a central location, the ultimate goal. Do I speak up? Do I dare ask this room full of men and women, all 500+ years old (truly) for something ELSE? I took a breath and raised my hand.

"I may be pushing my luck, but I have another proposal." And I blurted out my proposal. Well, I've never seen this much life and excitement in a Grange meeting. The loved it! And we now have a new home. And I'm the newest Grange Board Member.

So yes, ask, and ye shall receive. The simplest of lessons, the greatest of results.