The Third Thursday

Greetings Happy People,

It was a Thursday evening in December. I had driven across the Las Vegas Valley to get to this place (30 miles to be exact). Through the biting cold air and slick snowy roads, I finally made it to my destination!

Walking across the parking lot, many questions lingered in my mind.

“Is it a good idea to attend this event?”

“Will it be worth the trip?”

“Will anybody remember me?”

I continued my walk towards the building with trepidation, still wondering if this was a good idea. I had many opportunities to stop, turn around, and just go home. But instead, I kept walking. I saw the front of the building. It read Balboa’s Pizza. I looked through the window and saw many people talking, laughing, and having a great time.

“Wow!!” I thought. “This may not be a bad idea after all!!”

As I approached the front door, I took a deep breath, held the handle, and pulled. As I walked inside, I beheld an amazing sight!! I heard background music; I saw delicious free food, and a mascot that looked like a knight!!

“Welcome to Third Thursday!!” a lady told me. “Please sign in and fill out your name badge and year!! We are glad to have you here!!” With those words, I felt welcomed and happy with my decision to attend. Then just when I thought it was safe, I met people I had not seen in 15 or 16 years!! They were faces I recognized.

To be honest, I was surprised that people still recognized me. We talked about what we were doing, how things were going, and reminisced about the days when we had attended school together. That was my introduction to Third Thursdays!!

What is Third Thursday? In my own definition, it is an event sponsored by my high school where alumni attend to socialize. They have food, drinks, and great times!! This event occurs every month throughout the school year and it attended by people that graduated in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s!!

What were the benefits of attending that first event? I met people I had not seen in a while, I enjoyed the food and drinks, I had lots of discussion mixed with laughter, and I had a great time!! Have I attended these events since? Yes!! Will I attend more!! You bet!! Who could turn down something like this?

Now imagine if I had walked away from an opportunity like this. What would I be missing? What doors would have closed? How long would it be before I had a chance to do this again? One could only wonder.

The important message of this story is when you have a chance to do something – stop thinking and just do it!! You never know when a great opportunity will come your way!! HECK!! There is a good chance that more doors for will open for you!! Just go out there and take that first step. The rest of the path you walk will be worth it!!

That is all I have for you. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Jesse I-I-I