My Countdown to Getting to Yes
Memoir of a “Merch-Man”
T minus 27 days…
What was supposed to be a simple evaluation at the corporate office turned into me signing a contract to tour North America as a merchandise manager for a staged show. I accepted the position on the very same day it was presented to me. Woah, why so fast you may ask? Well, because, life.
Life moves at the speed of light and sometimes you don’t get a second opportunity to say yes; to try something new. And honestly, I was ready for something new.
T minus 7 days…
I’m wandering aimlessly around a big box store looking for an essential oil diffuser, among other things. Why would I need a diffuser? Was it even going to fit in my already crammed suitcase? Scanned, then bagged, I leave the store with said diffuser. Do I have everything I need? One never will. I’ll never know until I simply go.
T minus 5 hours…
I’m laying in bed thinking, my mind is racing, and sleep has evaded me. Have I packed enough? Did I pack too much? Did I make a mistake? Was this the right choice, the right time? How would I survive four months on the road living out of a suitcase? Well, there was no turning back at that point. The ink of my signature on the contract had long dried and in just a few hours I would be flying across the country to a state I’d never been to before in a position I’d only held for less than a month.
T minus zero minutes…
Time. It’s finally time.
I board the plane with 2 suitcases in tow, a backpack, and an open mind. Tour life, here I come.
My first leg of the tour began in Eugene, Oregon. A mere 2,917 miles from my home. Nervousness under the guise of excitement was an understatement. I’d have a week training with the outgoing manager and then I’d be on my own for the next four months. A few days in Texas, a few nights in New Mexico, two weeks in Canada and before I realized it, I’m half way through the tour. Throw in some hiking at Spencer’s Butte, rafting down the Rio Grande Gorge river, a bout of food poisoning, a week and a half long flu, a tornado warning, and an actual tornado evacuation. What made it all worth it was hearing the fans sing the songs and quote lines from the play as they exited the theater at night. I’d have to say that was my favorite part. Speaking to the locals, most of whom were so eager to recommend the best parts of their city, was the highlight. Sixteen weeks and 26 cities later, I have memories that I couldn’t have paid to create. Memories that will forever go down in history on my bucket list as “so glad I said yes.”
I said yes to life, yes to adventure, yes to uncertainty.
The biggest lesson learned though, had nothing to do with merchandise or even the play itself. Night after night, I’d interact with thousands of people and the overarching theme coalesced for me on the very last week of the tour in Salt Lake City, Utah: know what you want…in life, from others, from yourself.
Even if you don’t fully know, act as if you do. My speech even changed. It used to have so many fillers of ums, and uhs, and oks, and pauses, and unnecessary apologies. I learned that it’s not rude or needy or too much for me to know what I want and to specifically ask for it. And if you can’t give me what I want, I will respectfully thank you and find another person who will.
This crash course quarter sized version of my “Year of Yes” (cue Shonda Rhimes) has been interesting to say the least. I’ve visited cities I never imagined I’d even want to visit. I ate some amazing food in some seriously beautiful towns and worked in theaters as ancient as time. Would I take it all back? Certainly not. Would I do it again? Ask me that question in a few weeks. Would I change anything? One thing is for sure, I would certainly pack less but overall, T plus 20 weeks later, the experiences and memories are priceless.
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