Happy Father's Day to all the father figures!
Can Mary come out to play?
My 10-year-old knees were knocking - much louder than my knuckles on the door a minute before.
The whole walk over to this house I’d been sending up a prayer: please let it be her mom, please let it be her mom, please let it be her mom.
Each step up to their stoop, I repeated the prayer.
I softly knocked on the door. The knob turned, the door swung open. It was not Mary’s mom.
It was Mary’s dad. One of the most feared in the neighborhood. Gruff, frowning, didn’t put up with any hijinx. And certainly didn’t suffer any mealy-mouth pipsqueak struggling to choke out a question.
“Whadda ya want kid?”
“Can Mary come out to play?”
Grunt. Head bob. Just once. Turned back into the house while calling for Mary to come to the door.
I sighed out all those nerves like I’d just been passed over for the tribe’s human sacrifice.
Mary came bounding out and down the stairs as we jumped into a summer day full of hijinx (just don’t tell her dad).
Our neighborhood was full of kids to play with - we had epic games of flashlight tag, whiled away hot afternoons popping asphalt bubbles (were we really that bored?!), built forts in the woods next door - but to do that we first had to face The Dads.
Guardians of their castles, protectors of their progeny, serious about their sports and skeptical of our schemes. And boy did we scheme - lemonade stands, gymnastic ‘shows’, cheerleading routines, book fairs. It’s no wonder they had no patience for the pipsqueak knocking at the door on a summer morning, trying to get out a simple question from a mouth that’s too dry to swallow.
But whether it was to see about Mary or to borrow a cup of sugar, when I stood up straight and simply asked, her dad would simply nod and make it happen.
Feels like more rooms, more conversations, could use more simple asks. Let’s go make it happen.
Truly,
Jackie
Quiet Signal
Who's the 'Mary's dad' in your work right now?
And what's the simple ask you've been avoiding?
Signal Boosts
Want to explore more? Check out these resources:
If you or someone you know is ready to stand up straight and simply ask, that's exactly what my
Speak Up More package is built for. Here's the
door.
Made To Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Here's my
video on why this book is THE one I recommend for pitching asks and ideas.
What's On My Radar
One thing I'm paying attention to this week that's shaping how I see things.
My Dad's loving support and dedication to our family, his friends and community!
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Hi there! I'm Jackie.
I help thoughtful people influence outcomes without having to become someone they’re not.
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