Dear Stranger in Need,
I want to help you but....
There’s only so much time remaining and I’d rather use that time for the purpose of completing the tasks on my own “to-do” list.
We don’t even speak the same language, so how can I solve – or troubleshoot – your problems with such a huge barrier between us, especially when I’m not exactly sure how to solve mine?!
It’s a wonder you even asked me for help in the first place, considering the fact that there are other people nearby who are more equipped to handle your situation – people with more skills, time and patience – people who are actually being paid by the hour to do the very same thing you’re asking of me.
Nevertheless, I’ll try to help you but...
Don’t expect me to work any wonders. I’ll do what I can, which by now doesn’t seem like much because you’re still in the same predicament that you were in before my assistance came into the mix. Now that we’ve hit a brick wall, I’m going to provide you with some options that will at least give you what you need for the time being.
So...
I wish I could do more to help you, for I know what it’s like to be in a position where something needs to be done and no matter how hard I try, I just can’t do it. The customer service representative on the phone is giving me instructions that are difficult to understand, the library where I need to use the computer -- to print out a very important document -- is closing in less than 60 minutes and I’m on a soon approaching deadline that could possibly change my life, for better or for worse.
;)
I know what it’s like to encounter a problem at one of the worst possible times that one could ever pop up and I also know what it’s like to not be able to fix it. I am also all too familiar with the frustrations and discouragement that arises when it seems like all hope is lost because the people who I asked for help were reluctant to help and/or acted like I was bothering them and refused to help me at all.
That’s why the next time you or someone like you needs help – if there is ever a next time, I hope I’m more patient, I also hope I have more useful troubleshooting skills to share and I hope that by then I will have learned how to speak your language so that we can communicate effectively enough to try to find a solution to the problematic task at hand – whatever it is. That’s the least I could do for the very person who inadvertently helped me with my writer’s block.
Thank’s to you, I now have a post for Day 8 of the A to Z Challenge. Thanks to you, I will now think twice about brushing off someone in need of help ‘cause I’m too busy or too uninterested to help that person. After all, Help – and lots of it, is what makes it possible for me to do what I want to do – make movies!
Sincerely,
The Girl with the Pirates of the Caribbean Notebook
What would YOU do if a stranger asked you for help at a very inconvenient time?
How comfortable are YOU asking strangers for help?
Are you more comfortable -- or less comfortable -- asking for help from people who you already know?
*This post is based on a true story.