Frenzy

As my inbox fills with assorted reminders of Cyber Monday, it's hard not to get caught up in it all--the feeling that if I don't act right now, I'll be missing something, the sense of opportunity passing me by. It is an effectively created frenzy. I am quite sure that the gifts I wait a week to buy will be just as good (and in many cases, just as cheap), but it is hard not to buy into the feeling that I must do it tomorrow or I will be out of luck.

Frenzy is not a good thing for me on a Sunday night. Even as a freelancer for whom these days, Sunday isn't always the end of my weekend, I have enough frenzy on Sunday. There is homework to be packed, there is a routine to resume, and there are deadlines to meet. The last thing I really need, on this or any day, is a little more manufactured frenzy.

One could argue that we thrive on frenzy--that the things that get done get done more reliably when there is frenzy behind them. One could argue that frenzy, not calm, keeps life interesting--keeps us always guessing, always reaching to catch up with the next big thing.

I'm all for keeping up and reaching higher. As for frenzy, I'd like to think I can do better--better than jumping through the next hoop, better than getting caught up in all the hype. So, while I may not blindly delete every Cyber Monday email, I won't be spending my whole tomorrow frantically online for the next bargain or the rest of my tomorrows on line frantically looking for the next big thing. There's nothing wrong with a little excitement, but when excitement turns into frenzy, it's time to take a step back--so that maybe we can actually take a step forward.