Should I Cancel?

That was me last week when I almost called off my annual Ladies’ Night Out theatre event, which I’ve hosted for 11 years. Attendance was still low just a few days before, and I convinced myself it just wasn’t going to happen. I even emailed the people who had already signed up to say it might be off.

No food ordered. No drinks planned. No paper goods purchased.

I knew the pattern. I had seen it for years. They always trickled in at the very last moment. Still, this was the year my panic told me it would be different. That no one was coming.

But I kept sending reminders and hoping. Just in case. Texting. Bombing social media. More than one friend reminded me that this is the way it always goes.

Then, lo and behold, one or two days before the event, sign-ups started rolling in. Like they always do.

The night itself was wonderful. I would call it a success. At the end I told everyone to remind me never to do this event again. But, I’m pretty sure next year will be year 12.

So what can I learn from this experience? Maybe that sometimes we are just too close to a situation to see it clearly. Sometimes it takes someone else pointing out what is right in front of us.

That is true for decisions, and it is true for writing too. We can stare at our own words for so long that we lose perspective. Another set of eyes can make all the difference.