Asking for the Money | From the Mouths of Children
“Hi I’m Tyler.” “Hi I’m Kyle.”
“We’re collecting bottles for recycling. Do you have any bottles or cans to give us?”
“Sure,” I said, “Hang on sec.”
Just about to shut the door, I think to say, “What’sit for?”
“Just for us. We’re just collecting them.” Innocent look.
I laugh. “Okay.”
“What’re you gonna do with the money?”
Sideways glance at each other. “Calaway Park.” (An amusement park in Calgary – you know, roller coasters, midway, corn dogs and sno-cones. Hmm – idea for next weekend?)
I laugh some more. “Okay.” And go to shut the door, only out the side of my eye I see them look at each other with impish 8-year old grins.
“Wait!” I say…calling back the innocent looks.
“Are you REALLY going to go to Calaway Park with the money or what are you REALLY going to do with it??”
“Calaway Park, really!”
By this time I am laughing really hard.
“Okaaaay. Hang on.”
I’m laughing still as I say to Mike, “There are a couple of kids wanting our recyclable bottles and stuff. I’m gonna give them a bag. It’s not for charity, it’s just for them.”
Mike smiles. I get the biggest bottles out of the bin to make room for more. (Read: So I don’t have to go to the recycling bin for awhile, saves me a trip.) I look at the bag I’ve filled and say, “I figure I’m giving them, what, a dollar?”
Tyler and Kyle (names changed to protect the innocent) say thank you and saunter to their wheelbarrow with giant box on top and toss the bottles in. The bag doesn’t drop all the way to the bottom so I’m obviously not the first to say yes.
Shutting the door, Mike says, “So basically they are going to everyone in the neighbourhood, begging for money but in a socially acceptable way.”
Me: “Yup!” Grin.
Mike: “You love it.”
Me: “Yup! Anytime kids are enterprising like that, I love it.”
“I mean, what’s the worst thing they’re going to do with it, buy slurpees? On second thought, maybe a dirty magazine? Smokes, maybe?”
Whatever. Identifying something one wants; thinking of the easiest positive way to get it, including asking for the money; then following through on doing it – man, if all the kids in the neighbourhood knew this was my soft spot, I’d be in biiiiig trouble. Come to think of it, I have the soft spot no matter what age you are.
Everything is energy, or so I keep repeating. How is the energy of you asking for the business/the sale/the joint venture/the coaching gig/the speaking opportunity/the thing you want most in life, etc. the **very** same as what Tyler and Kyle did, with impish grins?
How can you ask more often and more better: just as leanly, just as cleanly?
“We’re collecting bottles for recycling. Do you have any bottles or cans to give us?”
