My Early Not-Good Ideas

I started having not-good ideas at an early age. I mean, we all did, right? But at some point, most people grow out of following through on them. They get smart or scared, or both, and they realize that not-good ideas are called that for a reason. I think I missed a step there, though, because I’m still a huge fan of the not-good ideas. So huge a fan, in fact, that I’m writing about them. The first two “sure, why nots” that I can remember did not turn out well for me, so I really don’t know why I planted my flag so firmly in the not-good idea camp.

(SIDEBAR: That sounds like a spectacularly bad place to send your children for sleep-away camp, doesn’t it? Not-Good Idea Camp, where the marshmallows are roasted on bamboo, the friendship bracelets are made out of twigs, and the counselors answer every question with, “Eh, see what happens!”)

I’m really not sure which one came first, but both of my eight-year-old not-good ideas were physical: jumping rope while wearing roller skates, and turning a cartwheel while holding a stick in each hand in an attempt to have the sticks (instead of my hands) support me while I was upside-down. Both ended with tears and bloodshed. But you better believe I learned some lessons.

In the first case, I discovered that just because I can do two activities separately, it doesn’t mean that I should do them both at the same time. Each activity introduces variables into the equation that increase the difficulty factor of the other. So, maybe it’s better just to do one thing at a time. Rock that one, then move on to the next one. Fewer skinned knees that way.

In the second case, not only did I learn the value of working up to a challenge (like maybe try a handstand on sticks before a cartwheel), but I was also introduced to the concept of “prepare for the worst, hope for the best”. You see, I attempted this trick on a walkway “paved” with crushed clamshells. Not the softest of landing surfaces for my inevitable face-plant. Next time I tried something that may or may not have worked out, but it involved me being inverted or at the mercy of momentum, I certainly did my best to ensure myself of the softest possible landing, no matter which end touched down first.

All good lessons. Still applicable in my life. Still haven’t succeeded in doing a cartwheel with a stick in each hand.

The NOLA Fortune Teller

Have you ever done something dumb just because you knew you’d get a really good lesson out of it? That’s what happened with the fortune teller in New Orleans. I was on one of my solo trips, walking around Jackson Square, when I saw one of the many fortune tellers and I thought, “Why not? Of course it’s going to be bogus, but I want to see how this works.”

It went off pretty much how you might expect, with the guy making small talk, occasionally flipping over a tarot card, and telling me a generality about myself. I did laugh at him a couple times (but in a nice way), like when he told me I was very independent. Really, guy? I just told you that I left my boyfriend working at home to come to NOLA by myself for four days. That’s not a deep insight.

But, the real lesson that I got was at the end. We were wrapping up — and he had not shifted my world outlook at all — when he named his price. But he did it in an offhand way, as he was calling over a friend he needed to talk to. That gave me no opportunity to haggle, but plenty of time to dig in my purse to come up with the bills. That was by far his slickest move of the whole exchange.

It wasn’t the best $40 I’ve ever spent, but it certainly wasn’t the worst.

Not-Good Ideas

DISCLAIMER: This should be unnecessary — based on the title of this post — but I’m going to say it anyway: I do not endorse or encourage following in my footsteps in any way. The reason these are not-good ideas is because there is a high likelihood that their outcomes will not be…beneficial, shall we say?

But, I’ve led a charmed life, so many of my not-good ideas have worked out for me — at least moderately well. Some have not, and that’s okay too. The only reason that I’m game to try out so many not-good ideas is that I am absolutely willing (even eager) to accept the consequences of my actions. I do not try to dodge the outcomes; I meet them head on and learn what I can from each situation. I suppose this is my form of thrill-seeking behavior. I don’t like amusement park rides, but I’ll take a roller coaster ride of a life any day. It makes me feel really alive!

The Bookstore

No one thought it was a GOOD idea to buy the used-book store. They may have thought it sounded like a great time; what could be better than sitting in a room full of books all day? But it’s not going to make me rich. It’s probably not even going to make me any money.

And it hasn’t. It’s barely even broken even, most months. But it has bought me time to spend with my daughter. She’s spent three and a half years surrounded by books and the book-loving public. At six years old, she’s working on adding up bills and making change. She makes book recommendations to the kids who come in, and reads books to the little ones while their parents browse. She spends her summers and school holidays with me and not being raised by someone else.

So, no. It wasn’t a good idea. But it was a great adjustment to our lives that has worked well for us and allowed me the time and space to pursue all of the other interests that I have. Will they make me money? Almost certainly not. Will they entertain me? Absolutely. That’s what this blog is about. All of the not-good ideas that I have that work out well for me and my family.

Many people roll their eyes at me and my schemes. But, they work out, and then I try something else. Or they don’t, and I learn from them, and then try something else. What’s next? Who knows? Come back to find out!