By: Ali Eliazbeth Turner
Notice that the title of this piece is “Nursing A Nudge,” and not a grudge, and this is a story about what I have come to believe happens when we “get out of the sour and into the power.” Anyone in business knows that there are times when things just go south—deadlines don’t get met; clients cancel; team members are MIA; Charter/Spectrum gets attacked either by a solar flare, the Russians, the Norks, the Chinese, or all of them; and the “comms” are dead in the water for the day, as was the case on Tuesday. No question, Athens Now was officially behind the 8 ball. Sometimes these kinds of circumstances converge into a perfect storm, and this publication cycle was threatening to do just that.
Now for the disclaimer: If you are a client who had to cancel this week, you have already talked to me, and I know that these were circumstances beyond your control. I am not here to “guilt” you, I am simply using this to illustrate my most recent adventure with the Lord in the Land of Athens Now.
Tuesday the 14th was one of my favorite events of the month, the Chamber of Commerce Coffee. Various businesses sponsor breakfasts, we meet all over town, and it is a great way to network. The energy is always good, and 99% of the time it serves to give me that nudge that inspires me to cross the finish line of a publication cycle. However, I’ll be honest, I was just feeling sour and sorry for myself, and I seriously thought of slippin’ out the back, Jack, and trying to figure out what I was going to do to pull together what seemed like a total tangle of loose ends before we went to print.
The time came in the order of Tuesday morning’s events when Chamber Director Jennifer Williamson invited people who were attending for the first time to introduce themselves, and Dana Hill, Executive Director of Traditions Senior Living, did so. She was delightful, and I decided to take a chance and ask if she would be interested in doing an article. I thought to myself, “The worst she can say is, No.” Still feeling a bit cynical, I pushed through my fears, and went over and introduced myself. The result is what you see on the front cover, and I am forever glad I didn’t buy a first class one-way ticket to “Self Pity City via Whiney Airlines.”
What was waiting for me in the course of our interview later Tuesday afternoon was a tour of a brand new facility with the chance to play a beautiful piano and the invitation to come play that same piano anytime I wanted to, meet lovely people old and young, pray with a woman whose sons had been in Iraq, meet a nurse whom I would trust caring for my own mother, make a new friend, see amazing photos of Athens, and leave with a profound sense of gratitude.
What if I had “nursed the grudge, and not the nudge?” What would I have missed out on? As we enjoy our Thanksgiving holiday in 2017, let’s choose to get better at “the nudges,” and 86 (get rid of, be out of) the grudges. God bless you all abundantly!
