“You can’t dance at every wedding (a second look)
Sherri T.
“You can’t dance at every wedding were the wise words of Min, the mother of my friend Betsy. Little did Min know back then how sage her words would be today. They are more important now than ever.
Betsy’s mom was telling her that it was not possible to be everywhere and do everything all the time. Neither is it realistic to expect to be invited to every party or gathering. It is no reflection on you or your character. It should not be taken as a personal snub.
These are wise words for the world of cellphone living.
They are especially meaningful in the social media age in which everyone exhibits their lives online. In which every outing is a photo op. In which every meal is a milestone. In which every event is an entry on a personal social list. The longer the better. The busier the better. The more exotic the better.
Yet more does not necessarily equate with quality. It is simply a number count. Being present at every wedding does not mean being present.
Life on the internet has given rise to a new syndrome that our mothers could never have imagined. It is called Fear of Missing Out. FOMO refers to the tremendous pressure to see and be seen. To be seen at the scene. To show up – everywhere and all the time.
An interesting event may be happening somewhere and it always seems more exciting than what we are doing or have planned. And who knows what contacts we might make.
The result: We are no longer dancing at every wedding. We are dragging to every wedding.
It’s time to say ENOUGH. We are burning the candle at both ends. And burning out.
No wonder there has been a dramatic rise in the live-in-the-moment philosophy. It sees participation in life events as authentic, not automatic. Where life is valued as a series of moments that count – not as a count of moments.
“You can’t dance at every wedding” has a deeper meaning than appears at first glance. And that’s the point.
Choose quality over quantity. Any day. Every day. All the time.