Martha Practices Celebration

I remember back in high school a friend invited me to her graduation party.

Me: What is it?
Friend: A graduation party.
Me: For what?
Friend: Graduating.
Me: Weren't you supposed to graduate?

Ditto college acceptance party. First job party.

I didn't have a crazy strict upbringing but I definitely remember there was no tolerance for resting on your laurels.

No point getting excited about A's until you had straight A's. Straight A's don't matter - do you have the 4.0? Why freak out over the 4.0 until you're in college? College is just a gateway situation until you have the job. Do you have it? DO YOU?

Okay, great, a job ,but is it secure? Have your benefits kicked in? Did you get your first review? What about a raise?

Then at my first job, I met my friend E.

E likes a little celebration in everything.

She had me over for a dinner. Beforehand, I received a hand written invitation. At the event, she had typed up cute menus. Everything was beautifully plated. We said cheers. Cheers! We celebrated the fact that we were having dinner. BIZARRE! And addicting.

Next thing I knew, I would throw out cheers for anything.

Now we've already established from previous posts that I'm not modest and if I do say so myself, I'm intelligent, and I'm also a fast learner. So I took to celebrating like a fish to water.

I ROCKED IT.

Was it 5pm? Cheers.
Did I get mail? Cheers.
Good TV shows on tonight? Cheers and cheers.

I couldn't have learned it at a better time because writers need to celebrate, like Lisa said. There's too much rejection. Too much angst. Too much repeated beatings on your self esteem.

So finished manuscript? Cheers. Who cares if you have the agent.
Agent? Cheers! Who cares if you have the deal.
Book Deal? Cheers!!!! Screw your sales numbers.
Sales numbers? Cheeeeeers! Eff your next book contract.

Cheers to me, cheers to us, and cheers to you!