Day 1656
Just Ask
One of the coolest feelings is discovering something incredible in a city you have known your entire life. Today I took the kids to Congaree and Penn (shout out my wife for booking the tour), a hidden farm tucked away on Old Kings Road that I somehow never knew existed, despite growing up right here in Jacksonville. We originally showed up just to tour the grounds with the little ones. But once we smelled the food coming from The Roost, their open-air patio restaurant, I knew I wanted to eat there.
My wife quickly gave me the reality check.
“They’re completely booked up,” she told me. “There’s no way.”
She had good reason to think that. Table reservations fill up weeks in advance. But right then, a tweet I had read earlier popped into my head. It talked about the men who make a real dent in history, the ones who change things simply because they realize that almost everything in this world is malleable. Reality is far more flexible than we assume.
Most obstacles are real, but just as often, the only wall in front of you is your own hesitation. So I walked up to the hostess. Right away, she noticed Ryder and smiled. “Oh my gosh, he is so cute.”
A solid opening. I was as polite and charming as humanly possible, because I really wanted that table. She checked the books and told me things were extremely tight. I did not push or demand anything. I just leaned in with genuine kindness.
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“Whatever you have works for us,” I told her. “We can grab a couple drinks, eat quick, and be out of your hair before the next rush. We will make it easy.” I’m paraphrasing but it was something like that
She looked again, paused, and looked again, for probably a solid minute then found a way to fit us in. Someone else tried the same thing after me and was basically told to go kick rocks. Guess it pays to have a little baby with you.
When my wife came back from taking some pictures she was impressed I was able to secure the table. Just like that, an “impossible” dinner turned into an unforgettable evening. We sat under the covered patio, enjoyed a fantastic meal, and looked out over a nice farm in a quiet corner of our own hometown.
It was a small victory, but it reminded me of a larger truth. We constantly reject ourselves before anyone else can. We assume the table is full, the job is taken, the client will say no, or the gate is shut, so we never bother to ask. We choose a guaranteed zero just to avoid a momentary awkwardness.
Worst case scenario, they tell you no. You end up in the exact same spot you were already standing.
Best case scenario, you end up sitting around a table with your family, watching the sun drop across a beautiful farm you almost walked right past.
All it takes is having the courage to ask!
Cheers anon
10/3/26
Conor Jay Chepenik
