“I was given an assignment this morning,” I continued. “Community outreach.”
Her eyes brightened immediately. “Oh?”
“Specifically,” I said, choosing my words carefully, “social media.”
That got a reaction.
She smiled slowly and nodded. “Okay.”
“I don’t have any,” I added.
She blinked. “Any what?.”
“Accounts,” I said. “I don’t use social media.”
There was a beat of silence. Then she laughed, not unkindly, not surprised exactly, just… delighted.
“That explains so much,” she responded with a grin.
“I was afraid you would say that,” I replied.
She leaned against the side of the truck. “What is the assignment they want you to do?”
“A short series of videos about the local animal shelter. They need to be friendly and make the local police seem approachable while also advertising the needs of the shelter. My boss mentioned MeTube,” I wryly commented .
She laughed outright then. “Oh no.”
“That was my reaction as well,” I said.
Her expression softened, turning thoughtful. “Okay. First of all, it’s very good you’re doing this. Second, this is absolutely doable.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” I admitted.
She tilted her head. “You’re nervous.”
“I prefer the term out of my depth,” I said.
“That still counts,” she replied. “But the good news is, people don’t want to follow polished media influencers. They want what’s real.”
I nodded slowly. “That I can do.”
“Exactly,” she said. “We keep it simple. Short clips. Shelter animals first. You’re present, but not performing.”
“I don’t perform.I’m a whatyou see is what you get type of guy,” I said firmly.
She smiled. “I’ve noticed.”
We talked it through then, standing beside the truck as the decorations rustled softly in the breeze. She explained pacing, tone, and why authenticity mattered more than cleverness. I asked practical questions. The kind I always asked when I wanted to understand something properly.
“You don’t need to sell anything,” she said. “Just show that you care. That’s enough.”
That made sense.
“So,” I said after a moment, “would you be willing to help?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Of course.”
The ease of her answer surprised me.
