I am in charge of our ward bulletin for the next two weeks while the woman who regularly does it is out of town. I don't mind doing it. I also don't really want to do it. Such is the gospel. I'm actually kind of dreading it because I have to create the bulletin on the computer with tabs and all the right spacing (will fail) and then take it to Stevensons Genealogy Center (Kinkos=secular) where I will attempt to run off 100 DOUBLE-SIDED (will fail) copies. I also think I'll have to split the page and make it go sideways. I am getting anxious thinking about it. But whatever. Christian will just do it, which is why he volunteered me for it in the first place--so he wouldn't seem like a service hog (which he is).
At any rate, it's no big deal. And yet today several people at church came up to me and said, "Oh! I was so happy to see you are doing the ward bulletin." (There is an announcement about it in today's ward bulletin. You see, these are the kinds of things I will be tracking and publicizing as I work with the bulletin.) I was totally surprised that anyone even knew I was doing it (again--not a big deal). Plus, I'm only doing it for two weeks (even less of a big deal). Which leads me to ask, What's the big deal?
It makes me wonder if people don't know I already have a calling in Young Women. And if they don't know that, maybe they think I have no calling and that I'm inactive. Because "it's so great to see that you are doing the ward bulletin" is kind of something you say to an inactive person. I was lavished today with all the goodwill and encouragement of a woman just come back to church. It was sort of great. I don't care if people think I was inactive. As long as they know I'm active now because of this ward bulletin gig that gets me out to my meetings.
I have a few other fantasy reasons people could be excited about me doing the ward bulletin. Maybe they love my blog and think the ward bulletin will provide a nice forum for my brand of wacky humor. Or maybe everyone is dying to call me to tell me their announcements for the bulletin because they want to announce that I'm great. Or that there is a present drive going on for me. If that were the case, I would put it in bold.
I think "it's so great to see that you'll be doing the ward bulletin" is probably just something to say to make conversation. I've certainly said things like that in order to make conversation. It's basically just an acknowledgment that hey, I saw your name mentioned somewhere and now I'm talking to you and remembering that fact so I'll congratulate you for it because what else am I going to do? And it's why I prefer to conduct all my social interactions via Facebook, where clicking "Like" is enough (and where bulletins make themselves).
As far as making conversation goes, "it's so great to see that you'll be doing the ward bulletin" is fine. But "Holy crap! I LOVE your hair!" is much better.
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My husband does the ward bulletin. On fathers day he put a word search in it. It was great to look around and see all the people doing it during Sacrament talks and during Sunday School. You should put sudoku in yours. They would for sure start a present drive for you then!
ReplyDeleteLike.
ReplyDeleteI think they're hoping for hilarity. I would be.
Four things:
ReplyDeleteWhen we first moved into Highland,, the way they introduced us in the Relief Society spotlight was: "They've only been in the ward a month and their yard is already landscaped!" I can think of 5,000 more things I'd rather have people identify me with than that one.
I am currently the ward newsletter editor and I only have to do it once a month--goodness gracious, what kind of a ward makes you do something like that weekly?
I am also a Primary chorister. Sometimes I secretly suspect that, because two different bishopric members called me to those two different jobs, neither of them know I do the other job--capiche? I mean, after all, I HAVE TWINS. It feels good to get that off my chest.
You can totally copy my newsletter--Ben made it.
Checking "Like."
ReplyDeleteMaybe they're hoping that the bulletin will no longer be riddled with spelling and grammatical errors.
ReplyDeleteYour hair is AWESOME!
Is it a newsletter or the weekly program?
ReplyDeleteHarry can do those no sweat too.
I can only do standard type stuff.
But I like to think that my content is excellent.
The puzzles sound good.
It's just the ward program which--in my ward--is called the ward bulletin.
ReplyDeleteI think they are just using this catchy line opener as an excuse to talk to you at all. You have probably been intimidating them with your hair for months and months!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of shaking things up while she's gone. Sneak in some sudoku, a recipe, and a Dear Kacy section. :)
ReplyDeleteThey're probably intimidated by how amazing your hair is, so the whole "excited that you're doing the ward bulletin" angle is an easier way to break the ice.
ReplyDeleteAlso, maybe they are hoping you'll do some kind of spotlight feature? Or perhaps a So You Think You Can Dance review?
Maybe they just think that now they can slip in some free advertising for their Mary Kay parties.
ReplyDeleteI thought you should know that it took me a full paragraph in before I realized I had misread "Ward Bulletin" for "Ward Bulletin Board". I would rather do neither.
ReplyDeleteThat Christian, he is such a giver.
ReplyDeletei still don't get why they don't just e-mail everyone the bulletins - would save so much work and paper. and doesn't everyone spend their meetings browsing the web anyway? although we don't at our building - we don't get service up in the mountains. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I heard you were doing the bulletin way up here in Edgemont, so the word is out, Kacy. I also heard this post was hilarious, and that is 100% true. Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteWe were just at Stevenson's for the first time last week. We thought it would be cool if you could buy some genealogy while you're there. Ask them.
Hey kacy,
ReplyDeleteWould ya make sure the stake picnic announcement gets in this Sunday too. Thanks
BTY I mentioned your hair a couple of weeks ago! It was really cute.
Bummer - now there is no Young Women's OR church bulletin. Wait... actually, this could be your chance to really start ditching church while people think you are doing useful things!
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