Learning to say no

Okay, so it’s time I stopped taking on so much responsibility.  I’ve been feeling like nothing good is going to happen around me unless I make it happen.  So I put my hand up to help out with every project I can see is otherwise likely to fall in a heap.  Trying to save the world from mediocrity single-handed, that’s me. 

Well, I’ve reduced my committments on a few things:

1.  Family friend’s wedding – sounds like the mother of the groom is having a panic, and is working at cross-purposes with the bride, who has things better under control.  Me, I’m not going to help anyone unless they ask me directly.  No offering, no volunteering, no listening to word-of-mouth hints that someone would like to be offered help.  Not my problem. 

2.  Family reunion – organising icebreakers was my aunt’s responsibility.  I offered to help.  The ball’s in her court.  If no activities get organised for the opening night, too bad.  We’re all big enough to put on our brave extrovert faces and go say "hello" to people.  And if it’s a disaster, it’s my aunt’s disaster. 

3.  Camping – okay, well that still needs some thought and planning.  So far, I have a tent.  That’s a start. 

4.  Election campaign – I’ve taken my name off the election day volunteer list.  I can ring someone and help out last minute if I want.  I’m letterboxing the flyers just one street at a time. 

5.  Everything else – well, I doubt my mother will take me up on the offer to help de-clutter her guest room, so I can rest easy.  Food – restocked; laundry – mostly done; floors – still a disgrace.  Lunching friends – let them organise it.  Support groups – well I’ll go to those, that’s actually a relief.  Doctors and the like – that’s still beyond me.  I saw the optometrist last week and now I’m really worried about my eyesight.  It’s declining, and the optometrist has no idea how to fix it.  I need to find a better optometrist.  The astigmatism is getting to the point where it’s really difficult to read. 

6. Tlalit’s baby – I sent her a link to an interactive astrology chart for her baby.  And offered to buy her something if she tells me what she needs.  Now I’ll wait for her, I think. 

Really worried about my eyes, though.  I can barely read.  The fact I can is, I think, only due to a lifetime’s worth of putting up with poor vision.  I’m a master of deciphering barely visible blurs.