This weekend is my town’s celebration of the 250th year of its founding. Last night was a community dance, which my husband’s band played for. Prior to the event, he said, “if we have as many as 20 people I’ll be surprised.” As it turned out there were many more. Not as many as our older residents thought should be there but still way more than either of us thought would show up.
One friend I talked to said that she had an offer of a wonderful free weekend away, but instead opted to be in town. “Just how often does one’s town celebrate an anniversary like this?”
Many people I talked to through out the day had all sorts of reason for not coming to the dance or any of the other activities planned. They ranged from kids soccer games to having company. Would this have been like this a hundred years ago?
The answer was simple. No. Everyone and their brother would have shown up to celebrate. For starters, it would have been the only thing in town and the only major activity for the year. In those days, the town wasn’t just a place to sleep at night. It was where they fully lived.
We do not view being in the same room and socializing as a priority in the same manner our early settlers did. Further, if we do get together, people are texting and going outside to take cell phone calls and are rarely fully engaged in the present.
Even though this sounds rather glum, those of us who showed had a wonderful time. I met several new people in town and look forward to being around them the remainder of the weekend. Because there was music and dancing, with kids running around and making merry, there was very limited use of electronic devices. Just like many years ago, the wall was lined with people that no longer could dance, but just wanted to be among those that could, enjoying the music and talking to old friends and “remembering when.”
Is it worth it to go to the effort to celebrate an anniversary or some other occasion, particularly if you are not feeling all that great or are concerned about you might appear? I think it is for two very important reasons:
• When we celebrate we are “counting our blessings.” The literature is full of research that shows that if we want to increase our happiness level, count what you are grateful for. An Oprah moment "The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate."
• There is no substitution for being together physically. If I were a physicist, I could probably explain the quantum physics of it, but the chemistry we create when we are together can be powerful. Besides, there is no virtual hug that equals a real one.
So for whatever reason celebrate and enjoy it with other people.
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