So you want to try something new. You do your research, buy the supplies you need, get yourself psyched up and blammo, it doesn't turn out the way you thought it would. Is it a failure or just a learning opportunity? I guess it is all in the way you look at it. Case in point:
I have a 5 year old who doesn't want to make any mistakes (who does) but I have been explaining to her that failures are as important, if not more, for learning. Now I have to follow my own advice. I have led outings where we journal and have discussions. Due to Covid I have had very few so while I am late to the party, I have decided to try the virtual world. I picked Zoom. I set up a meeting and sent out very few invites, I wanted to try it out. It was, I would say successful. I only had one person show up but hey, that is one more than 0.Working off of that high I set up another one and advertise it on the Nature Journal Club Facebook page, as well as my own. This time I got 2 participants, double what I had last time so I am stoked. It is going well, we are going through the time and I am answering questions when all of a sudden another person enters "the room" they start drawing over my gator that I was using to demonstrate on. Then I see the letters F A G appear on the screen, I had been hacked. Not only did it make me angry that I had been hacked but by a homophobic knuckle dragger who couldn't draw a penis so save their life (it took me a while to figure out what it was) but I had people who did not know me in this class. Great first meeting right? I immediately realize what is happening and have to shut down the meeting. This would be a failure....right? Or is it.....?
Well there were twice as many people as in my last meeting but it was still only 2 people, it could have been 50 or 100. We had a good class and it was close to the end of the session, not the beginning so that is a bonus. I forgot to hit record in the beginning so there is no need to have to edit it abruptly out. I will now look up more information on how to stay secure in Zoom meetings. Lastly, I didn't show up to virtual court as a cat. I could let this get me down or swear "I WILL NEVER TRY THIS AGAIN", but that would mean I learned nothing. I don't want to fail, no one does but if you are going to, do it with some pizzazz. Be sad or mad or embarrassed then dust yourself off and try again. Maybe my next hacker will be a better drawer.
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