The Importance of Getting Excited!!!!!!!!!!!

The Philippines is a land of many festivals. Barely a week goes by here without there being some reason to celebrate, be it a birthday, a cultural festival or a religious feast day. Very often when we are out in the cities the route of our journey will be disrupted by a procession of some kind. Our work with the Technical students is frequently, to our continual annoyance, interrupted at short notice to make way for yet another holiday or important event which need celebrating.

What I find really interesting is the complete lack of celebration fatigue. Whereas in the UK there are many people who don't like parties, and many people who will start to moan if celebrations go on too long, here that doesn't seem to be the case. No one worries about the loss of productivity caused by another day off declared at short notice. When the next event is announced there is always genuine excitement.

Another example is that of Fr.Rex, one of the Salesian Priests here, he recently spent sometime in Germany. Both before he left and since coming back he has spoken with such excitement about his time away experiencing a completely different culture.

I think that in the culture here there is a more developed understanding of our need to have celebration and our need to be excited. Life should include things to look forward to, it should include things to get excited about. Too often in the UK we treat excitement as if it is something we should grow out of in adulthood.......we say to anyone showing signs of getting a bit excited, "Calm down, there is no need to get excited"

But perhaps we should get more excited? Perhaps having things to get excited about is part of what makes life rich and full? Maybe if we never, or seldom, get excited about anything we are not making the most of life?

So next time you experience something exciting "Don't calm down, get excited!!!"