Give me your money?

I've done it again, I've gotten myself into something that I really shouldn't have. Don't worry, it's nothing bad, or dangerous (like the second adventure race I signed up for yesteday), no, it's actually a good thing. It just happens to be a good thing at which I completely and utter suck.

So what is this horrible, yet good thing that I I signed up for? It's the Susan Komen Race for the Cure. And, no, it's not the race I'm worried about, it's a 5K for crying out loud, I could run that in my sleep. No, it's the fact that I, well, we, as I am on a team, have to raise money to be allowed to run the race. And we have to raise a lot of money. As in a thousand dollars.

Now it's for a good cause. One of the better ones, in my personal opinion. I would more than happily train for a marathon if it could help cure breast cancer, and then pay to run it. In fact, if I could just -give- the foundation my share of the thousand dollars, I wouldn't be writing this post. But that's not what we're supposed to do. No. We're supposed to raise the thousand dollars, i.e., we have to ask people to donate money to our team. And that's where my struggle comes in.

You see, I really, absolutely, positively suck as asking people to do anything for me. Now I don't mind at all when people ask me for help. I have just found that I am pretty much allergic to asking people for help. I. Will. Do. It. On. My. Own. But thanks for asking! And it's not because I'm terribly stubborn or have an independent streak a mile wide. Because although I am the first and definitely have the latter, they're really unrelated to my complete inability to ask for help. The reason I don't like to ask people for help is because I don't want to bother them. In my opinion, there is nothing worse on this entire planet, than feeling like you're a nuisance to someone. The whole "Running-#2" incident is a case in point here. If it hadn't been for an imminent involuntarily bodily expulsion, I don't think I would have ever asked anyone anything. Because oh my lord in the heavens above, what I had somehow inconvenienced someone?

In fact, it's pretty much safe to say that if I ever fell down a mountain and got stuck in a canyon, I would sooner be like that man who gnawed his arm off to get out of that canyon than ask someone to pull me out, "Oh no, that's that's way too much trouble, you need to get home too, go on, I'll be fine. Yes, I'm sure! Thanks!"

That this tendency has led to some interesting situations goes without saying. Let's just say that the only reason my tetanus shots are up to date is because I absolutely refused any help when airing up my tires a few years ago. And have you ever wondered why I have a gray dot right in the middle of my forehead? Yep, it too can be traced back to my unwillingness to accept help when looking for something. And the list goes on. Pants covered in grease, clothes torn by bicycle chains. You'd think I would have learned by now, but no.

Now, whenever money comes into the picture, my allergy turns into a full-on break out the epi-len, I'm going into anaphylactic shock here. I mean I am Dutch, and thus the textbook example of frugality, and I don't like asking people for crap, and now you're asking me to ask people for -money-? Wow.

Let's just say I was the child who, whenever there was another fundraiser at school, would show up with the least amount of money/canned goods/orders for whatever. And not because neighbors and family members weren't willing to donate. And not because my mother didn't tell to go out there and just ring people' doorbells. But because I was too embarrassed to ask people for money. I mean, why would these cool grown-up adults give a scraggly looking kid like myself THEIR money? Really? And even though I would be just as embarrassed whenever every other child would return with huge orders for stamps /cookies/ laps around a track, and I didn't, it wasn't enough to inspire me to ask more.

As I said earlier, I don't mind helping people out, and I also don't mind giving money to good causes. It's just that when it comes to asking people for their dough, I'm a chicken.

Thank goodness, I'm running this race as part of a team. And husband-dear is on the team. And it so happens that he has no qualms asking people to donate money. So if you've emailed with husband-dear in the past, expect an email soon. If you haven't, and you just keep in touch with me - no worries, you're safe.