Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Life Trumps Speaking
First off, let me say that I love speaking to library groups. I find it energizing and inspiring and a great way to remain connected with the profession, giving me the in-person interaction I often lack when working out of my home.
But... if you invite me to come speak to your group this fall or next winter/spring, chances are I'm going to say no.
The main reason for this is our ongoing adoption saga -- since we have no clear idea of dates at this point, only could-bes, I'm erring on the side of caution. I don't think it's fair to commit to preparing presentations and traveling at a time when we might be bringing a new little person into our lives, and want to spend more one-on-one time with Jake before this happens.
Like Deborah Ng, though, it's hard for me to say no, especially to work I find both interesting and challenging. I also wonder about perceptions and burning bridges, but need to set priorities, and what has to give at this point is the travel. So if I say/have said "no" to you, it's a no for now -- not forever!
But... if you invite me to come speak to your group this fall or next winter/spring, chances are I'm going to say no.
The main reason for this is our ongoing adoption saga -- since we have no clear idea of dates at this point, only could-bes, I'm erring on the side of caution. I don't think it's fair to commit to preparing presentations and traveling at a time when we might be bringing a new little person into our lives, and want to spend more one-on-one time with Jake before this happens.
Like Deborah Ng, though, it's hard for me to say no, especially to work I find both interesting and challenging. I also wonder about perceptions and burning bridges, but need to set priorities, and what has to give at this point is the travel. So if I say/have said "no" to you, it's a no for now -- not forever!
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I think you are doing the right thing. A lesser person would say yes to speaking engagements and would then reneg on those agreements if something happened in the adoption realm. It's much classier (and not -- using the term Deborah Ng chose -- greedy) to avoid putting some organization in a bad position.
I recently said no to a speaking gig that I REALLY wanted to do, but it involved traveling overseas and arriving the morning of the talk. If the flight was delayed, I'd miss giving the talk. And frankly, I just wouldn't do that good a job after flying all night to a foreign country. I didn't want to waste their money, even though a free trip to that country was like a dream come true for me.
In my view, I think this reflects quite well on you; makes you look like a responsible and considerate person. And a good mom. :)
I recently said no to a speaking gig that I REALLY wanted to do, but it involved traveling overseas and arriving the morning of the talk. If the flight was delayed, I'd miss giving the talk. And frankly, I just wouldn't do that good a job after flying all night to a foreign country. I didn't want to waste their money, even though a free trip to that country was like a dream come true for me.
In my view, I think this reflects quite well on you; makes you look like a responsible and considerate person. And a good mom. :)
Sounds like you are just being responsible to me too! I don't see how anyone would think it is burning bridges if you are unavailable. I know I recently needed to tell two different libraries I wasn't available, since I'm trying to book only one training gig a month, and they just scheduled the workshop for later months.
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