Standing Ovation, 💯s All Around

I’m giving this whole life thing my best effort. It may not always look that way, but I’m trying to the best of my ability.

Sometimes I come up short. Sometimes I just fail altogether or head purposefully in the wrong direction. Sometimes I show up late to a social outing, and then for weeks afterward tell myself I don’t deserve to make plans. Sometimes I say something insensitive and wake up in the middle of the night groaning with guilt and embarrassment years later.

So, great, we’ve covered the “learning from mistakes” and “eternal sorrow and misery” angles. What about when I get something right? What about those rare occasions when I don’t screw everything up? That’s boring — let’s talk about you. Let’s talk about when you get things right.

I think you’re doing a magnificent job. I’m convinced that you are learning and growing, and I’m glad I get to witness you pouring yourself out into the world. It’s pretty dope! Thank you. I don’t say it enough.

Have you ever not given a standing ovation after seeing a play? I’ve been thinking lately about how silly that would be. For an able-bodied person, there’s not much difference at all between sitting and clapping and standing and clapping. Like, “Sure, it was good, but not good enough to stand up approximately sixty seconds before I would stand up to leave anyway…” Folks put a lot of effort into plays. The actors, of course, but also the writers and the technical staff and the organizers… there are a lot of folks involved! People put a remarkable amount energy(and years of expertise) into a play, so of course you’re going to go the extra mile and get to your feet and smile widely as you clap.

Because what’s the alternative? Demonstrating that you don’t feel like you got your money’s worth by staying seated? I struggle to understand what that would accomplish. I do, on the other hand, know what it’s like to be on a stage. I know what it’s like to care with all your being that your audience, regardless of size, appreciates what you’ve created for them. And I know that paying for such a performance is not exchanging your dollars for a commodity, but feeding someone who is doing their best to bring something wonderful into the world.

And that’s where I’ve really let myself down. I want to believe that everyone is doing their best to make the world more beautiful in their way, and I want to celebrate them for doing it. So here’s what I’m going to do about it:

If you share a link with me, I’m going to make sure you get some emojis in response. I might not even read the damn thing, but I appreciate that you thought of me! You didn’t have to share that link, but you did it anyway, and that is amazing.

When you “do your job”, I’m going to be sure I’m wearing a smile when I thank you. I forget to smile sometimes. It feels funny on my face, but you know… it’s not about me. We all hate capitalism, and I’m proud of you for sticking it out one more day.

And I’m going to “like” your selfies more! Not your baby pics, but… selfies, yeah. I can do selfies. Because you’re brave even showing your face in this world, and I want you to know that I appreciate that bravery and think your face is A-OK, dog filter or no dog filter.

Come on, you know you’d like it if people made more of a fuss over the considerate things you do. Lead by example. Make a fuss. Celebrate everything. What do you have to lose?

It’s easy to minimize the significance of someone’s effort, but it’s just as easy, and much more fulfilling, to show your appreciation for them and what they’ve done. Life is hard. Doing kind things is tough. Creating works of expression is often even more difficult. So maybe today is the day to reach out to someone who you’re inspired by or let someone know that you’re paying attention and you appreciate them.

Life is hard. If you’re doing it at all, I’m prepared to celebrate.