Even Happier
It was a beautiful Friday morning and his name was Mr. Friday. I would not have noticed him next to the elevator that day except for the walking stick. It made me think of the one Charlton Heston used to part the Red Sea in The Ten Commandments, except for the tennis ball base. Mr. Friday looked serene, delighted to be on his way to wherever he was going.
I was not serene. My car battery had died and my dog decided she preferred the yard’s sunshine to my pleas for her to come in. I texted the client that I would be a few minutes late. Not a good start on day number 1 of discovery visits for two fundraising case statements. The client is a non-profit leader in the continuing care sector for older adults. The publications would be about two capital projects — lifelong learning centers.
I smiled politely at Mr. Friday while remaining firmly lost in my own busy brain, lining up the questions I would need to ask. Why 375 seats? What kind of performances? If you will build it anyway, why do you need to fundraise? How does life change for people once this is up and running? Is it solving any problems? Are there named gift opportunities? Who are the prospects? And the always critical question — where is the ladies room?
Then the staff member escorting us asked Mr. Friday a much better question.
“How are you doing today?”
He smiled and paused.
“I am happy, thank you. Very happy. But I was even happier yesterday. It was my birthday. I am still here. Still happy.”
happy — still happy — even happier
I wondered what factors contributed to his contentment. And that led me to the obvious connection between happiness and learning. Could it really be as simple as inviting donors to be generous in helping us create more happiness?
Postscript: I went home and thanked my dog for being an underachiever in obedience training. I have short-listed Mr. Friday as a potential sidebar in the case statements. He reminded me that building the case for anything starts with listening, sometimes to a person who cannot see who is holding a stick with a tennis ball on the end of it, especially if it is Friday.
Make it a good one.