Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).
I don’t really operate that way.
It’s the truth. I tried to think of a bunch of different times that might *work* for this prompt. Like… when I went up on the parasail in Jamaica. Or the day I turned in my comps (oh, little did I know then…). Or something else equally life-changing or exciting.
But honestly, my mind doesn’t seem to work that way. Moments of happiness have never been that happy for me–at least not in the grinning-ear-to-ear or jumping-up-and-down sort of way. I just kind of take it all in stride. If something bad happens, my brain generally jumps right over the shock-value and into ‘how do I fix this’. If something good happens, I think: “That’s great!” but I don’t really get in the moment or anything. Usually my brain has already moved on to the repercussion and/or new responsibilities that generally come from something good happening. “Ticked that off the list; what’s next?”
Example:
I won the lottery?! Awesome! Now. We need a lawyer. We need to choose a payout option. With whom would we want to share the money? Let’s talk percentages. How will this affect our tax bracket? Somebody break out the Excel!
I think I’m very practical and type-A. I don’t take time to relish in the moments. I am not sure I know *how*. You know how people will often say that something felt “surreal” or that they just “can’t believe” something happened to them? I rarely–if ever–feel that way. It seems hippy-dippy to me. One way this comes through is during ceremonies (like weddings). I am not what you’d call a ‘movable’ person. I see a lot of brides say that when they got up to the altar with their groom, they were completely lost in the moment. They didn’t even care that there were so many people watching, and/or they didn’t notice when the minister said the wrong words or the decor was the wrong color. I’d notice. I’d notice every single person who coughed, every baby that fussed, every wrinkle in the aisle runner. (Gee, could this be one reason we elected to have a small wedding?)
So perhaps this is a reflection that I need to step back and allow myself a little more emotion once in a while. But then I’d have to turn off my ever-processing brain…and I don’t know if I can do that.
Late-20s yuppie, professional techie, terminal student. I probably live farther north than you do. (
I feel exactly the same way, only I doubt I could every have said it so well. I don’t sit and revel in the moment… I’m on to the next thing before the last one was over.
I’ve graduated 3 times (high school, college and masters) and none of them felt like great accomplishments, I was thinking about the next school or my first real full time job.
Interestingly enough, we had a very small wedding as well, quite similarily to yours. I got married and it was nice, but it didn’t feel like some magical time stopping moment. Frankly, I was up there looking at my husband to be, but in my head I was still a little worried about how everyone would get to the lunch that was after the ceremony.
I’ve always wondered about people who say those things about time stopping and being 100% in the moment. Sometimes I wonder if it is just something people say because they “should” feel it, or if they really do.
Ashley! We’re soul mates. Graduations — same here, when I graduated H.S. my folks and I were like “party? why would we have a graduation party? of COURSE I graduated high school, it’s not like anyone was afraid I wouldn’t!”
Totally agree about the wedding ‘magic’. Pretty sure I was worried about whether my MIL would get the photos she wanted to take, and whether my dress looked baggy (it was a little big), and the fact that I was really hungry and hoped everyone else would be comfortable ’till dinner… etc. Hah.
I’m the same way. I prefer to think of it as even-keeled. I rarely get over-excited when something great happens (happy yes, but jumping up and down, no), nor to I go to the depths of despair when something doesn’t work out. I think I’m pragmatic about what I invest my emotions into, is that a good way to describe it?
This post is so interesting! I am all about each moment and can get completely wrapped up in one. I was so focused on my husband during our wedding that I barely remember anything else. I think reverb is going to be such a great journey and that we will all discover things about ourselves along the way! I can’t wait to read more!
I liked reading your thoughts on this…as I was reading I totally related to the wedding thoughts. For me it really wasn’t until I had kids that I started to encounter moments where I was overcome with emotion…now it happens in other random moments too.
And of course people don’t have to have kids to experience this – just relating my own personal story.
I’m the same way! I have even been criticized in the past for not being \excited enough\ about various things. On another note, I love your blog. I have been following it since it was in its original form years ago, and then was thrilled when you popped up on wedding bee!
p.s. I didn’t pass my comps the first time either. Grad school is special that way, isn’t it?
try weed.
…which just enhances your tendencies… HELLO HYPER-PLANNING MODE!!
Ha! I too am an over-analyzer. I feel you 100%