Day 1: Baby steps...and Spock!

So I've been fretting all weekend about my commitment to get rejected every day for a month. Will I go through with it? Will I stick with it? What will I ask of people, and when?

I decided that when I have challenged myself in the past I've always stuck with it so I shouldn't be afraid that I won't this time. Of course, this time involves the potential for personal humiliation. Well, I took the first step anyway, so I'm on my way!

As to what I should ask people, the "rules" are that it doesn't matter what we ask--within the bounds of decency I suppose--just that we have to stick our necks out in some way, no matter how small, with the express intention of hearing the answer "No." I decided it was best if I just go about my daily life and when I see an opportunity to get rejected, I'll improvise something on the spot. Armed with that intention, I headed for Crate & Barrel.

I've been creating a little garden on my balcony -- herbs, tomatoes, flowers, that sort of thing. I was looking for an outdoor rug to put out there, and C&B has some on clearance right now. I had to order the one I wanted while at the store. The very nice and very helpful sales lady (thank you Nancy!) said they had free shipping on almost everything for Labor Day, with a few exceptions...and my item was of course one of the exceptions so she couldn't give me free shipping. Here was my opportunity to get rejected! She laid down the rules, I decided to ask her to break them. "Can you give me free shipping anyway since it's Labor Day?" I asked. And she said....NYET.  Actually doesn't speak Russian so she just said "No" but since my whole experience today was kind of anticlimactic, I'm trying to add some drama to the narrative.

I admit, it's a small start. Maybe a tiny start, more like a baby step, but I did it! I went out intending to find someone to say No to me, and I fulfilled my mission!

What was more interesting to me though was the thought process that was going through my head from the moment I left my house. I looked for opportunities to talk to people. For those who don't know me, this is something I N-E-V-E-R do. Never. Like, ever. I keep to myself when I'm out and about, in fact I generally avoid contact with people I don't know. I am just not that social I guess. But, today I found myself looking for opportunities to ask people questions, to - *gasp* - interact with other humans. It might have just been brief and the subject matter inconsequential, but there was a discernible shift in my behavior, driven by the shift in my intentions.

I believe Spock has a word for this: