We all get busy. Life happens. Mercury Retrograde or Murphy’s Law can throw a monkey wrench into the best laid plans. We frequently think that our ability to show up (or not) for an event won’t affect anything. We even forget to let people know that our plans have changed (because, well, busy).

You do matter. Letting people know as soon as possible does make a difference. Other people may very well have planned around you. You don’t know if everyone else in a group’s plans have changed.

You would me surprised how often several people forget to let an organizer know. Be the responsible one, it can change the dynamic.

When I book a class or event at a venue, it will be cancelled if I don’t have enough advanced sign ups. When people who have committed don’t show up, that venue has now expended money on staff and utilities that will not be recouped, and I have wasted gas getting there.

When I offer a class in my home, it is in order to be able to offer that class at a lower cost. I have blocked out my schedule, made arrangements with my household, printed handouts, and prepared the room. These are generally small class sizes, and some classes only work if I have at least x number of people.

So when I find out the day of a class that several people can’t make it, and it was already an intimate class, that class may get cancelled at the last minute, which inconveniences not just me, but those students who were still planning on coming.

I do not say this to make anyone feel ashamed. I say this so that you consider your actions going forward, not just for my classes and events, but for other teachers and organizers as well. Communities function best when they are supported by their members. You may not think you’re going to make a difference, but you do.