Instructions?

So many of us are ecstatic that recycling in our neighborhood is improving.  Adding glass is a huge plus.  And  it will be less physically taxing for those of us who have been dragging exceptionally heavy bins of paper to the curb, as rolling bins are utilized.

Many neighbors, however, did not read the instructions about relinquishing our old bins, and starting the automated pick-up on a different day.  Just because the new bins were present, it didn't mean that they were immediately available for use.

We have become so accustomed to seeing and accommodating new things that we don't always stop to read the instructions.  This was a reminder to me that multiple modes of communication are important when a big change is afoot.

Trust Your Instincts

Recently, a dinner companion related how close she and her family were to losing their investments.  A broker she had dealt with for years joined the ill-fated Stanford firm and presented a very attractive opportunity.  She was encouraged to sign the papers before going on vacation and was assured that the broker would complete the paperwork. Thankfully, she wanted to study the documents before completing the transaction, because when she returned from vacation the Ponzi scheme was front page news.

This was a vivid reminder to trust our instincts rather than yield to the pressure of another person's timeline.

Short Term Loan from a Friend

Yesterday, I attended the Greater Houston Partnership annual meeting with over 1000 others.  The luncheon was at the Hilton Americas Hotel, a lovely venue I've been to many, many times.  Ninety-nine percent of the time I choose the self-park option.  I was arriving a few minutes later than I'd anticipated due to an impromptu meeting with my boss.  My instincts said that valet parking would be quicker. They would park my car immediately and I guessed that the wait to retrieve my car wouldn't be onerous because I'd be networking rather than racing to the exit.  Both of these assumptions were correct.  But the most important aspect of this decision was my missing wallet. 

I entered the arriving valet line just behind some friends.  The hotel offers the option to pay for parking as you enter to avoid a line at the end of the event.  When I stepped into line behind my friends, I was horrified to realize that my wallet wasn't in my handbag. (The great news I discovered in the evening was that my wallet was in my home office where I'd accessed it early in the morning.)  I had $6 tucked in the pocket of my bag and had a $14 valet parking bill to pay.  Fortunately, one of my friends came to my rescue with a short term loan.

Though it's always terrific to have friends rescue us, the bigger message is to trust our instincts.  There's often a reason for a change of routine.