Short Notice

I have seen a definite trend over the 20+ years that I have been teaching Kung Fu. Almost every time I am asked to put together some people for a show or demo, it seems like it comes with very short notice. It makes me laugh every time I receive a call about a show that is taking place the day after tomorrow followed by the inevitable question - "How many of your students can make it?" This seemed like disorganization when it was my brother seemingly calling me the day before every event that he needed help on but as my brother became less involved in Martial Arts events, I have come to realize that it is just the way things are. I am not running a commercial school so it is less important for me to attend when invited but find it fun to get out on occasion. As a student, I think it is a good teaching tool because you are required to keep something at performance level at all times. As I have told most of my students over the years, there should always be something that you can perform well without notice because you never know when you are going to be asked to perform. Although the short notice I always get is frustrating, I think it has helped reinforce the importance of being prepared at all times.