"We Could Be Missing Out"

So let's say it's Saturday night. Where are you?

On your couch? Someone else's couch? A bar? Your mom's kitchen? The office? The movies? Strolling aimlessly through a city? Alone? With friends? Coworkers? Family?

There are endless options. Options are good. And terrible. They're satisfying but overwhelming because options mean you have to choose and if you have to choose, you could make the wrong choice. For a Saturday night activity, how likely is it that you actually make some sort of detrimental decision? Rare. But doesn't it still feel like it could happen?

I'm going to be bold here and diagnose an entire generation, my own that is, with FOMO, and for those of you who don't know what that means (hi, mom and dad), it stands for Fear of Missing Out. And I think my generation has a serious, contagious case of it.

Maybe all young people do. Or maybe just all people do. I don't think social media has helped as it makes everything look very miss-out worthy. Every party looks hot and every bar looks happy. Every night-in looks cozy and every family gathering looks joyous. Are they? Maybe. Probably. But if that's true - you can't go wrong. And if it's not... well, you still can't go wrong.

So what are we afraid of missing out on? I don't really know. A good party? A great conversation? Finally flirting with THAT person? Your parent's home cooked meal? Some much needed sleep?

Anytime you're doing something, you're actively not doing something else. So if you stay in, you're not going out. But what if you should have gone out? Or should have stayed in?

You know what, let's also look at that word. Should. I feel like that word rules my life sometimes.

Should I go out? Should I stay in? Should I read? Should I watch TV? Should I call him? Should I text him? Should I not? 

There's no solid answer to any of those questions. Sometimes I think the general answer is to just go with your gut, follow what feels right to you. But there's something to be said for going out of your comfort zone too, which brings us right back to where we started.

I think the answer is no answer. There are a lot of Saturday nights. And sometimes the amazing things happen on a Wednesday. So go out. Stay in. Do both. Watch a movie then read a book. Play a game before heading for your run. Ignore should. 

Because there are and always will be a thousand options, and you know what? I think the real answer is that every one of them could be utterly perfect.