Are we having fun yet?
One of the most memorable dinner parties I have ever been to was at an artist’s friend’s house and her handsome musician husband. She popped into a yoga class occasionally. She boldly held a dinner party for about eight people in her life that were in her periphery, I for sure wanted to be in her orbit. None of the invited really knew one another. I remember arriving, being introduced to people, and her floating through her house trying to connect everyone on common ground. Their house was filled with interesting things, music playing (from vinyl) and wine flowing in mismatched stemware that made it even more interesting.
We sat down at her gorgeously decorated candle lit dining table and she and her amazing partner began to serve us this beautiful meal they had prepared. He gave a charming toast to all these people in their lives and thanking his artist wife for finding a way to bring us all together. Once everyone was seated and served, I cannot remember if I had begun to eat or not, but I remember artist perfect person dropping her silverware emphatically on her plate and saying, “Everyone stop eating…. this pasta tastes like soap.” Of course, people immediately responded, “Oh it’s fine.” But she was adamant. Forks down. She was so wonderful about it - who cares what happened - but she did not let it ruin the night. We drank more wine and ordered pizzas. It was hilarious, wonderful, and so FUN!
In last weeks NYT there was an article that caught my eye about having fun. During the pandemic era we are all a little starved for fun and cannot remember the things that used to be fun! What does fun feel like? There is a certain degree of willingness required to ALLOW yourself to have fun. Certain people in my life that seem to come with a guarantee of fun times...and the opposite is true too...fun suckers. Fun is not an emotion, and we cannot just decide we are going to have it, as the writer Jessica Bennett brilliantly states,” Fun is: you know when you are having it.”
We can only orchestrate so much and then we must surrender to what happens. We play a part in our own destiny. Can we find grace, humor, and humanness to show us the way? I have eaten Thanksgiving dinner at my in-law’s house over twenty times, but the one I remember the most is when the garbage disposal blew up. Can we make it FUN even if it is not going as planned?
When I am teaching a yoga class, I am hosting a gathering. I say hello and welcome, I have thought about the poses I am going to teach and the atmosphere I would like to create, I have curated a playlist, and I am setting the conditions for what I hope is a valuable experience, dare I say, a fun experience. But in the end, I can only control so much.
I am leaving this week to lead by 17th yoga retreat. I have made all the arrangements, have planned what I hope to be an amazing experience in the hills of Umbria, Italy. Even if it rains all week (it will not) it will still be magical if everyone allows it to be. The dates for this retreat are already set for next year, September 9-14, 2023 and I will open registration October 1st. If you would like to be on the early bird pre-sale email before I open it to all, reply to this email and let me know.
It's fun.
JK