Yes Man!

(Note: I've taken a bunch of pictures lately, but I don't have them up yet. Suffer through this wordy post today and I'll reward you with some photos by the end of the week.)

Whenever I stumble upon something that seems too good to be true, I make a point of trying to take advantage of that situation while the opportunity lasts. My relationship with the Immokalee Library could be described as one of those "too good to be true" type things, but "taking advantage" doesn't really justify what I do there. I practically exploit the place. Not only do they have a stellar DVD library, they're also linked to every other library in our county, so that pretty much any book or movie you're looking for can be delivered to your hands within a few days. This past fall, when I realized what a gem this place was, I started going twice a week. It's to the point that I routinely have 10 or more items checked out, probably average 4 or 5 items shipped in from other libraries per week, and the librarians know me by name. Pretty sweet, huh? And oh, yeah - IT'S FREE. Seriously, how do these magical places sustain themselves? When I get a fine, I'm practically leaping to pay it - Yes! Please! Take it all!

That being said, one of my requests last week was for the movie Yes Man. You may not all have heard of this 2008 comedy, so let me give the quick run-down: Jim Carrey plays a negative, closed-minded sour-puss who won't commit to doing anything until an acquaintance forces him to attend a "Yes, Man!" seminar. He commits to saying "Yes!" to every opportunity that comes his way, no matter how ridiculous or impractical it seems. Of course, he gets himself into all kinds of hare-brained antics, but he also becomes a happier, more fulfilled person in the process. He eventually makes some deep connections that balance out his life's lunacy, but I think it's copyright infringement if I give it all away, so go rent it yourselves, you lazy bums. It's funny, I promise.

What was that all about? Where's he going with this? Oh, yeah.

In the past, I got a little down on myself for being an occasional "No Man," and this movie was a nice reminder that when the only thing holding you back from what you want is fear or personal inhibition, it turns out that nothing's really holding you back at all. At the start of my time here in Immokalee, I really committed to being a Yes Man (without having even seen the movie back then, imagine that), and I'll agree that it's opened my life up to a lot of wonderful and satisfying things that I may never have involved myself with if not for the attitude adjustment. Still, being a Yes Man has it's valleys, too.

You may have noticed that I haven't posted on here in a while - that's because a Yes Man has a busy schedule, dammit! Hey, Dennis - do you want to spend three straight weekends driving 15-passenger vans to Tampa, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg? YES! Do you want to take your remaining weekend day and help out with the slavery museum up in Port Charlotte? YES! How about after that, on Monday, we drive an hour to the closest college to go see their annual production of The Vagina Monologues? YES! How about you and Lena drive out to Miami on Tuesday night, meet your friend Marie, and go to some random John Carroll Alumni event at a beach-side mansion? YES!

I think that, perhaps, this is something I come by genetically. It's pretty obvious that my mother is a Yes Woman, and her busy schedule reflects that. My dad requires an emptier calendar (something I prefer when possible), but the spaces of his life are no less filled with activity and the pursuit of Yes. Throw those genes in a blender and then hand them to a kid working with an organization ramping up to it's biggest event of the season (not to mention living with a few whimsically spirited women) and you get one busy guy. I guess I'm saying it's hard enough being a Lackey, but when you throw being a Yes Man on top of that, stuff gets crazy. (Side note: I spent a long time making that pun come to fruition, so somebody make sure Uncle Bob reads it. That one's for him)

It's possible at this point that I've confused the reader. This isn't really a debate between being a Yes Man and being an inert fart. True, being a Yes Man can be a little exhausting, it can take you crazy places, it can make you uncomfortable, make you feel stupid, it can even increase your carbon foot print (sorry, Greg). But in the end, it's far better than the alternative. I spent a long time being a No Man, or at best a Maybe Man, but any of you out there on the fence, let me tell you - I'm gone, and I'm not coming back.

I'm sure that some of you are already Yes Men and Women, and others of you are probably convinced that no matter what you are, you're already set well enough in your routine that it's too late to change that. But it's not. The next time you can't work up the nerve to talk to your crush, or read a flyer you might be interested in, or hear about a concert you might go to, get invited to play board games or go out with a group you don't totally know - when you feel those shoulders starting to shrug, and your mouth begins to form that "Ehh... mayyybe" - relax the shoulders, clear your throat, drop a Yes Bomb, and see what happens.