"Don't Go Insane"

This week I was elected to the board at my church. This is a surprise to me because I still feel so young... and then I remember I'm coming up on 40. I'm not as young as I feel. ;-) The other surprise was the great enthusiasm friends and acquaintances had for the chance to vote for me. I felt loved and appreciated. I feel that so often here, and it is such a contrast to my default feeling of "otherness" in group settings.

One friend I've worked with on projects said, "Congratulations. Now just don't go insane on us." I asked him to elaborate. He said he would, but hasn't yet. And I'm mulling the statement over in the empty space.

What would it mean for me to go insane?

The unanswered question is whether C was referencing something he's seen in me, or whether he's talking about another woman we both know who is no longer involved with the church. I have told him in the past that I relate to her because I burn out like she did. Take a position of authority, mix in a feeling of entitlement to control, stir in a healthy measure of real people, and you get someone who is increasingly mad at the incompetence around her.

I do this. I'd like to think it's rare, but it happened last summer on a trip with some folks I didn't know too well and I'm now embarassed to face.

So, what are the keys to my not going insane in this venture?

1. Recognize the contributions of the majority of the group exceed my own contributions.
2. Take time off when needed. Do not say "yes" to everything. Make sure I'm rested.
3. Do not make great personal sacrifices of time, money, or effort based on unspoken barter agreements.
4. Recognize that board membership is a call to serve the community in a particular way. It is not a position of power, but a position of responsibility.

And I will need to double-check on this, but I think the major expectation of the board is to make good decisions for the church. I think there are secondary expectations: modelling good church behavior, communicating clearly with the congregation, taking on leadership roles as needed. But I suspect that if meeting any of those expectations results in me moving toward insanity, they would suddenly become secondary to a lot of things.