Thursday, October 2, 2014

Help: You'll Never Know If You Don't Ask

What have you got to lose? Really, if you ask and the answer is yes you have what you need. If you ask and the answer is no, so be it! I seem to be having this conversation a lot lately. It is amazing to me that those that need the most are the ones that never ask. I, on the other hand, just ask and smile. For example:

Who could resist this pair?
  • A family member was flying from one place to the other. The flight took 4 hours. The husband and wife were traveling with an older son that has some special needs. Flying makes him very anxious and talkative. When they got their seating assignment they were seated separately. Because they had raised the son to be very self sufficient, they had never asked for any special treatment. But surprise of all surprises...when they explained their situation to the boarding agent they received a seat that not only worked for them but also for all of those people around them. All they had to do was ask!
  • We are having some remodeling done. Twice in this process simply asking for what we needed worked because we made good sense. In the first case, I asked a plumber to please not play the bidding game and just do the right thing. He did and he had a job. In the second case I asked for a review of a charge for installation of a stove. The price was reduced by $90. All I had to do was ask!
  • We flew to Mexico a couple of weeks ago. We are seniors but very strong and capable so my husband asked to be seated in Row 18, the emergency exit row so we could have more leg room. We were given those seats going and coming. All we had to do was ask! (On a side note the agents in Mexico discussed our age in Spanish...I understand more Spanish than most people give me credit for. My husband laughed when I said "They are talking about how old we are." He pumped up his muscles...we got the seats!)
So what do you need but are afraid to ask for? Are you afraid to play the AARP or handicapped card. Ask because the worst that can happen is you will get a no. I don't know about you but I can handle that.

b+

Here is what Delta will do for you if you have special travel needs. Link


2 comments:

  1. I guess it is just a human trait. We love to give advice and help but are loath to accept it for ourselves. As your examples make clear, we miss so many little improvements in our daily life with that foible.

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  2. Yes we do...I don't think it is a foible. I think it is pride. Who really wants to admit that they are old or disabled? Not me. But I swallow my pride on senior day at the grocery store and ask for better seats on the bus or plane when it is necessary. Sigh! But I always feel a little diminished somehow. I don't like that.

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