Pleasant surprises

Jordan had to get a shot yesterday, and while no one enjoys that, the anticipation was the worst part. Afterwards, we had a treat at a café and talked about what might have made it go more smoothly. A friend of his was with us.

Rachel: I noticed you started to get more upset when the doctor said that the shot makes some people faint. Would you rather she had not told you that?
Jordan: Yes. I did not want to hear that. She could have just given me the shot and it would not have been so bad.
Friend: I would want to hear it. I want to know the truth ahead of time.
Jordan: I don't want to know. I prefer to be surprised.

Ain't that the way? Some people are anxious if they don't know what's going to happen -- probably because they imagine something bad possibly happening, and find it reassuring to be able to prepare. (Myself, I always want to know what the plan is for lunch, because I worry about lunch being late or insufficient.) Other people, like Jordan, are not anxious about the future, so hearing about negative possibilities tends to add stress.

Later that same day, there was a middle school information session, and the friend definitely wanted to go. Jordan did not, saying again that he prefers to be surprised. He said, "Usually when we do something new it's great with me. I don't need to know about it ahead of time. In fact I kind of like to just discover it right then and there. I think at Billings they're going to say, 'Today we are trying this sport,' and even if I never heard of it before, I'm going to say, 'Cool! Let's do it!' " He likes novelty, and his experience is that most of life's surprises are pleasant.