Out of My Comfort Zone

I am so far out of my comfort zone these days I have trouble remembering what it feels like. I keep reminding myself that it's good to stretch and try things that scare you. It doesn't seem like the reminding changes my reactions though.

I hate calling strangers. Even more I hate calling strangers to ask them for something. It's a struggle to pick up the phone and dial. My stomach gets butterflies everytime I call a new number on my list. They subside a bit when I get an answering machine. They surge when I get someone who is pissed that I'm calling. The go away entirely when I get a friendly person on the other end of the line.

I'm going to be canvassing this weekend and that is soooooooooooooooo not anything I'm comfortable doing. At least on the phone you can't see one another. At least you can hang up if you need to. And it's safer than knocking on a stranger's door.

But this moment is too important for me to sit on the sidelines and not try to do something useful. I don't want to look back and wish that I'd stepped up to the plate and set aside my own fears and discomforts. I don't want to tell my children, "You can't change things. You have no power."

Our son feels involved. He is contributing by putting stickers on postcards or stamping them. Our two-year-old daughter likes to 'help' as well. They are both contributing by playing quietly when I make phone calls or by giving other volunteers a laugh or smile. They contribute when they come along to pick up or drop off voter registration forms. They are contributing because they and the futures I want for them inspire me to try and push through and do just a little bit more.

So I may not be comfortable but I am growing and learning. And, most importantly, I am actively working to create the world I wish to live in and the world I dream of for my children and all the other children in the world. What are a few butterflies compared to that?