Knock Knock!

You'd think that someone who does what I do for a living, would have no trouble walking up to people's doors and talking to them about important social issues.

You'd think.

For most of my life, I've spoken out of turn, been asked to "keep it down," said inappropriate things at even less appropriate times, and generally not really concerned myself with the consequences.

I've also been able to do a job where I get to speak out and speak up every day. Issues and events that are important to me and my friends and family get aired to a large audience, and I get to be the person delivering the message.

So when March of Dimes called a couple of months back to see if I'd be interested in canvassing our neighborhood for their annual fundraising drive, my first thought was "are you frickin' nuts?"

Going door, to door in the suburbs? These are people with names like: "Mr. Accurate," "The crazy chick who drives too fast," "Mr. Bi-polar," "Cellphone-guy," "Witness-protection-couple" and so on. Then there's "I should know her name because I talk to her quite a lot but I don't," and "woman who calls me by name and gets me to donate to the heart and stroke people every year."

I'm the worst neighbor in the world. It's taken me years to even start shovelling the other side of our shared driveway. It finally sunk in that it didn't matter why it wasn't shovelled, or that they never really did my side. What did matter was how much of an ass I looked like by only doing my side.

So after about ten seconds of dead air, I responded to the March of Dimes recruiter with a hearty "sure!" I almost barfed. I can't knock on these people's doors and ask for money. What the hell have I done?

So in a couple of days, I'll take my little kit around, wearing my MOD pin and my best smile. I'll knock on doors of people who know who I am, some of whom I'll be seeing for the first time ever. I'll cheerfully extol the virtues of this important organization for which I've spoken so eloquently on the air. I'll ask for donations, and happily answer questions. I may get turned down. I may get surprised by some people's generosity.

This is so far out of my comfort zone, you can't even imagine how stressed out I'm getting.

And yet...

There are so many decisions we make every day based on how we feel we could benefit. Life is a competition. Whomever ends up with the best and most, wins.

Too bad life doesn't work like that.

We can only grow by trying new and scary things. That which doesn't kill us, makes us stronger (that was my dad's best line).

No, door to door canvassing will be a big, scary, learn-as-you-go challenge. Which is what makes it worth so much.

Because the challenge, is the reward.