As Lent draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the last 40 odd days, my dream, and whether I really am completely crackers.
I think the answer to that last question is a resounding 'YES'.
So, let's re-cap, my challenge was to make 132 people smile during lent 2011. I had the will, surely there was a way? I first set the rules, and made it even more challenging by including any friends added during the lentern period. In all honesty this only added the grand total of 1 extra smile into the challenge, but at least I got them smiling within hours of adding them to my friends list.
Anyway, with little more than 24 hours to go....how am I getting on?
Well, it's not going quite as badly as a car crash, but I do feel I'm up a certain reknown creek without a paddle. Numerous people have 'enjoyed' smiles this lent, but did I make them smile? It's impossible to tell. My attempts have been numerous, and the list of people who I have attempted to make smile has become smaller each day (I actually printed out a list and have been crossing people off as I go. I then realised it looked like a hit list and hastily added the title 'Lent Challenge - Make all your facebook friends smile =D' in pencil, as an afterthought)
But I'll be honest. You've not all smiled. I haven't attempted some people, time slipping through my hands so quickly, whilst others I have attempted but I feel unsatisfied that a smile has been achieved and therefore drag my feet in crossing names off. As a result, probably about 50% of my list remains. RUBBISH!
So, should I give up? NOOO! I refuse. Rather than accept defeat, I will accept that lent isn't long enough for a full time teacher and part time writer to make 133 people smile. But, I will keep trying to make people smile until this list is complete. I don't give up, and I never say no to a challenge. Yes, I wasn't exactly successful but I have so many good ideas for more smiles in the future that I sincerely hope it will be worth the wait.
As I said when I started this challenge, I'm not doing this for me really. It's more about what I can do for other people. And I've realised how diffcult it is to make people smile in an ever-changing, media-dominated, pessimism fuelled, economically challenged society such as ours. That makes it all the more important for people to enjoy smiles. I'm going to keep trying until everyone is crossed off this list. And then I'ma shred it, so no-one thinks I got rid of you all.
Apologies,
a slightly ashamed Franks xx
I think you have done excellently, even to reach 66 people in forty days. Also; think of those not on the list that have smiled because of you. I often smile at people when they aren't looking or at the cute little hedgehog that scurried across the tarmac cycle-path in front of me last night.
ReplyDelete:) You are right! I would feel better if I had done what I set out to do though!
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