Three great things happened today.
1. I went to the supermarket. I never have a huge amount of stuff but I’ve always avoided the self serve checkout machines. I tried them a few times when they first appeared but I found them stressful. They beeped when I didn’t remove my bagged items in a timely fashion. My own ability to find where to insert my card or take my receipt was also a problem. But the other week I nipped in for a couple of things (none of which needed weighing) and braved the self-service. I used my card to pay and all was well. So this morning I decided that no machine was going to get the better of me. Sure, I had highly over-priced bananas in my trolley that would need weighing. Sure, I only had CASH (archaic I realise) but I was going to serve myself. If the older lady in her best winter coat then, surely, I, Wendy Davis in my grey tunic dress, grey leggings and ballet flats could also conquer the mysteries of self service. I bagged my items according to like things like a pro. I searched for bananas and onions on the touch screen all by myself. I chose lady fingers not cavendish. I selected brown onions loose not packaged. I said no to presenting my everyday rewards card because I don’t have one. I presented my cash and collected my change and receipt. I didn’t ask the customer service person for Jamie Oliver reward cards because I’m not collecting them. I left. Proud.
2. I opened my email and found that to my immense surprise I had received a very delightful mark for final Legal Research assessment. Why immense surprise Wendy? Because, dear blog reader, I found this unit a challenge. Offered as part of ALIA’s PD program I was taking it for unit credit for my Masters. Never having taken much interest in the law as a field of research or study, I was overwhelmed in the early stages of the course. Would I ever remember the difference between a statute and an Act. What was Extrinsic Material again. How many readings did Bills get? Jurisdictions? Pardon me your honour? So much terminology to get my head around before I even started thinking about the research-y/librarian side of things. I plugged away slowly, step by step and gradually by the end of the unit I felt like I had found my feet. I was assisted by great staff and a fabulous mentor. I finished. Just a little bit proud.
3. I opened my (other) email and found to immense surprise and joy that I had received a very delightful mark for my research project work. Why the immense surprise and joy Wendy? Well, dear blog reader, I had started this project fairly clueless about what I was setting out to do. It took a long time to finish because I was distracted by work and other things. But finish it I did. I persevered. Slowly but surely something took shape. Something that I created and was passionate about. Again I was encouraged all the way along by a fabulous mentor and supervisor. It was done. And I was proud of myself.
These events aren’t great because of the results although they are nice (especially the use of the supermarket self-service :P). They are great because they served as a big and welcome reminder that I can work things out if I have to. I can problem solve in situations that are outside of my comfort zone. In fact, I probably do my best thinking and problem solving in those situations. I’m forced to take chances, to think creatively, to try and fail and try again, to take a risk, to make a judgement based on nothing but my own knowledge and hunches of what might work. If it doesn’t work, that’s okay. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Either way, I’ve learned something. And that is life.