Yesterday I was asked if I could do something next month and was stunned to find that July is, for the time that they wanted, a completely booked month. Now when I told the person this they responded with the comment that it was only a couple of hours (actually I reckon three to four hours would have been nearer the mark) and that I must have some free space somewhere. I had to tell them that in fact July was closed thanks to the various things that had all crowded in to it.
"But you're a Vicar," they exclaimed, "How can your diary be completely booked?"
I recalled the wise words of Hugh Wilcox, a man I did training with back in the dim and distant past of an ordination placement in Ware, Herts. He told me that ordination was something that would leave me challenged and called upon and that when I could not do something the response should not an explanation but the simple statement that I was 'unavailable'. So I told them that I couldn't do anything on their first choice day of Saturday.
And of course back came the response that I couldn't have a month ahead of me which had something happening on every saturday. I explained that there were weddings and events that had long since been booked in and ran them through the diary entries to prove it. As we went through the entries they commented that I did stuff every day of the week and that I seemed to be pretty busy all of the time (and this was a surprise).
What was sad about yesterday's request was the fact that I would have enjoyed doing the event and that even they'd known they were going to do it in July they had not decided which date until this week (and even then it was flexible as they'd got no one booked to come yet).
A plea - when you are going to do something, decide on a date and work to it. Book the venue, invite those you want to attend and set the thing in concrete as far back as you can because who knows, the Vicar might just be busy!
Pax