On listening to my own advice - #lakewoodnews

Before Memorial Day, several of my colleagues shared their plans for the long weekend. One was off to the Canyonlands of Utah, another to North Dakota for fishing, and yet another was headed to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument in my old stomping grounds of the San Luis Valley. To this co-worker I warned, with an air of superior knowledge, "Take insect repellent - it's tick season in the Sangre de Cristos."

It was good advice. I know from school field trips, Girl Scout outings, and after-prom evenings that ticks are plentiful in southern Colorado in late May. Besides being just creepy, they can carry disease. Plus, once they dig in, they are really hard to remove. So avoiding them in the first place is the best plan.

I also spent the holiday out of town, crawling around the mountains near Steamboat Springs, because I played two 18-hole rounds of extreme disc golf. I am not a good thrower and although most of my own shots went uncontrollably off into the scrub brush, we all were ducking under branches, scrambling over rocks, and pushing overhanging foliage out of the way.

You may have guessed already where this is going. The ticks are also plentiful in the northern Rocky Mountains this time of year. Before we even got back to our cars, one of my friends found a tick on his sleeve. My own words came back to me: "Take insect repellent - it's tick season!"

To be fair, I had no idea we would be playing disc golf at all, much less in the wild - and wildly remote - underbrush of Routt National Forest. I did have the good sense to change from sandals to tennis shoes, and to grab a visor and sunscreen. Yet it never entered my mind to pick up some bug spray, even though I had been all too eager to advise others to do the same.

So, maybe you can guess what happened . The following morning, I spotted a tick crawling down my shirt ... a different shirt. I was seriously weirded out (to use specific language). I'm pretty nonchalant about possible disease, but the fact that this thing had somehow been hanging around overnight was quite unsettling. Why hadn't I taken my own advice?

The reason I'm telling you all this is because it's a good reminder for me --; actually, for anyone who thinks we know what's best ... for someone else. I often find myself pushing into other people's conversations to share my opinions, even when unsolicited. I have felt pretty sure, recently, that I know the best place to vacation in Mexico, the best route to take downtown, and even what's best to order in a restaurant because it's what I like. From the reactions I've received, though, some of the recipients of my proclamations might have been bemused, or even annoyed.

My opinions may be all well and good ... for me. But for other people, maybe not so much. And, clearly, I didn't consider the advice I gave out to be good enough for me. Lessons learned? Provide advice only when asked, and be sure it's advice I would follow myself.

from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/On-listening-to-my-own-advice,216284?branding=15