With a Little Help from My Friends

Linger Longer. What is it? Besides being a lovely alliterative phrase, it is also an activity where people stay after church (which ends at 4:30 p.m.) to partake in dinner and small talk. This is my calling, linger longer coordinator, and in general it has two requirements. First, you must be social as it is a social gathering with many people to mingle with and around. Second, you must be laid back as you are in charge of organizing dinner for 100 people single-handedly. I must say that it is quite a stretch for me as I am neither (1) social or (2) laid-back. Even rather small things stress me out, and this feels like planning a small wedding reception once a month. In reality it's a just a big pot-luck, but somehow in my able psyche I can blow it up to monstrous proportions. (One has to acknowledge one's talents.) Just coming from off of the high that is being ward chorister (no meetings, no practice manditory, just Sacrament Meeting attendance), and the stress that was Relief Society Enrichment Counselor, this is quite a calling.

What was absolutely amazing to me, however, is the willingness of people to help! I've had this calling now for three months and there are still people willing to help me. I would have thought that people would be bored with that by now.

I had been out of town last Sunday and was unable to track down the sign-up list (with basically everything important on it). Finally, Sunday morning I was able to get ahold of the fellow with the list. I had him read off for me the names of the people who had signed up for main dishes and I only called them. I was worried about there being enough food, so I prepared a gigantic taco salad. When I got to church, the fridge was so full that it was tough to open. Hallelujah! Proof that prayers really are anwered.

After sacrament meeting I asked several people to help, and, within ten minutes, we were done putting up the tables and then setting them with silver (plastic) wear. After that, it was a matter of cutting up watermelon, mixing salads, warming dishes, and just generally, setting up. I was aided in all of this by the girl whose calling this used to be (and I was sure she'd be bored with helping by now!). All in all, it was quite a success all due to a little help from my friends.

If you're out there, thank you one and all!