Tricky weekend coming up / Accountability

[missrat]

I did quite a lot of sorting out upstairs yesterday - I have a cluttering problem - which makes me realise how much I have to do. My Salvation Army officer is coming to help me on Friday for a couple of hours. However, I hope we won't get as far as the bedrooms! It's good that I can make myself accountable to them, although a bit scary.

This weekend is quite tricky. I have a Country Fair coming up where we get people to handle fancy rats. I plan to take four bucks and three (young) does. Today I have to get everything ready and have a VERY early night, as my friend has to pick me up at 5am tomorrow. I have my 'to do' list planned for today. I love doing rat PR - explaining what they use their tails for etc. (although not as keen on 'adult sex education ' - two separate women have asked "What are THEY, sticking out of the hammock or sputnik?" "It's because they are boys" I say. "Yes, but what ARE they?" "Well, male rats have proportionately large testicles!" My best PR experience was when I was able to communicate with a lad with severe cerebral palsy (reading his eye signs, as I did with a friend), and he said he'd never stroked a small animal and would like to. His carer and I helped and the look on his face was amazing. My anxiety about tomorrow is that the person organising it is young enough to be my daughter, very loud and very bossy. She says she has bouts of depression, but hers are very different to mine.

Well - now to clean and pack the cages etc. (Also sort some GumTree and Freecycle stuff. One of these days I might even go on eBay, but I don't want to have to post things.

[Suzie40]

How amazing must that experience with the little lad have been. I feel quite in awe of you. I bet it was hugely rewarding. I find your posts about your rats fascinating. Please don't be offended when I say I couldn't possibly imagine touching one

Don't be offended by the fact the organiser is younger than you. I am young (ish) and I hold a position of responsibility in work which involves line managing people who are much older than me. However I don't see it as an opportunity to exercise my authority and make people feel inadequate. Quite the contrary. I look to people with more experience than myself to guide me and help me make the right decisions. I'm sure this lady will be doing that, too.

Great news that the de-cluttering is taking shape nicely. I bet that feels good? X

[missrat]

Another great thing is getting people come into the marquee using the last sentence of your first paragraph, perhaps saying they have a rat phobia - then, having 'qualified for it' - going out with one of our stickers "I stroked a rat today!" If only they had another name - like the person on one forum who used to talk about her "long-tailed squirrel wombles!"

Ann x

[Photogeek in reply to missrat]

Hi Ann you sound very upbeat and you are making great progress. I too am fascinated by your Rats, as I am quite scared of rodents, even guinea pigs. But they sound very interesting. It must feel very liberating to be decluttering, and its great to get a bit of help with it. Since I became Depressed, I find it hard to tidy and sort stuff, its as if that tidy , sort out sphere of my brain refused to cooperate. Ah well, my place is v. clean but I am a bit of a pack rat.

Good luck with everything, and dont be worrying at all.

Hannah x