I have a hard time saying "no" when asked to help. I've been trying to recognize my limits, and turn down requests before I committ, and then have to back out several weeks later. Early yesterday, I was congratulating myself for bowing out of Jamestown Community Orchestra's May concert. Next month is completely filled with various events from Mother's Day to a graduation party to a Bachelorette Party. I knew I would be feeling the stress if I tried to cram in an orchestra concert with rehearsals on top of that.That self-pat-on-the-back lasted mere hours, when I found myself agreeing to play in a concert in Clarion, Pennsylvania on Sunday. Instead of leasurily making plans for the weekend, I'm now frantically planning out when I'll go grocery shopping, when I should practice (since I just got the music last night), and what other chores I'll be able to accomplish tonight and tomorrow. I think I do this to myself because of the challenge of playing a concert of music I've never seen or heard before. An added bonus is that it's a paid gig, but that's not as important to me.
Another downside? I'm getting a ride to the concert with the woman who organizes the Warren Riverside Players, a chamber orchestra. She got me to commit earlier in the year to playing in their summer concert. I was considering backing out of that since we haven't started rehearsals, but I think she might hunt me down if I tried to now.
A sidenote: All this performing is pretty appropriate considering I will have been a Violinist for 20 years this August.
1 comment:
Congrats on the milestone! And it's so easy to over-commit yourself, I know. I often want to do more things than there are hours in a day and days in a week.
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