Life is too important to be taken seriously. Oscar Wilde
In my past entry, "Sneak Peek into 2025," I wrote at the bottom that my motto for the year would be "Life is not that serious." I have lived by these five words for the past five months, only saying no when necessary but saying yes to every opportunity. The other day, I met three men at work who seemed to live by the same motto. The only difference is that they listened to a quarter.
Yes, a quarter. A 1982 quarter, to be exact. I went over to remove plates and refill drinks after the men had finished their meals. While doing so, I made small talk and asked if they were going to the Tigers game that afternoon since one was wearing a Tigers hat. One of them replied, "Well, I don't know. Let's ask the quarter!" Confused, they explained that they had spent the previous 24 hours living by what the quarter "told" them to do. For example, the prior night, the three men had finished running around local bars around 2 am and were hanging out with a couple they had met at one of the bars. They asked the quarter, "Should we give this couple a ride?" The coin landed on heads, signifying "yes." Immediately, the guys gave the couple a ride and even allowed them to stay at their house.
Throughout the rest of my shift, the men listened to this quarter. Heads, yes, tails, no. "Do we want another drink?" Heads. "Should we tip Leah $100?" Tails (unfortunately). They even had me flip it occasionally, in which it would land on heads, and I knew to get them another round. Along with the quarter, these guys were hilarious. You can tell they live a carefree, spontaneous life. After all, it is not every day you meet people who dictate their day on a coin flip. They were cracking jokes, finding joy in whatever was playing on the TV, and talking with other people at the bar rail. They were perfect examples of how you should not take life so seriously. Their energy was gravitating, and everyone at the bar seemed to agree.
This interaction reassured me that life is not supposed to be a routine. It is not supposed to be boring or dreadful. We should not be waking up every morning with the mindset, "Great, another day..." but instead with the mindset, "How can I make today exciting?" I am not suggesting people carry around quarters and listen to whatever the coin says, but to be able to go outside your day-to-day routine once in a while and remember that you are supposed to experience life and not just live through it is pivotal. You limit yourself when you are comfortable in a mundane lifestyle.
I write about this topic a lot--a spontaneous, carefree lifestyle--not solely to sound like a broken record, but to shed light on a passionate perspective of mine. I cannot seem to shake the fear of not experiencing most of this world, or preventing myself from achieving happiness through moments. Spontaneity can be confused with recklessness, and this is simply untrue. You can be cautious and still spontaneous. Hopefully, the guys I met the other week knew when to stop listening to the quarter. They would not put their life at risk if the coin landed on heads...I hope not, at least. But to be spontaneous is to say yes to things that make your heart skip a beat, or say yes to things that do not align with your plans. Life will be draining if you have nothing to look forward to, so switch it up. Do not quit your 9-5 if that makes you happy and pays the bills, but take a day off or use some vacation time and do something you typically would not do.
This interaction was a beautiful wake-up call. These men did not need to come in after they finished golfing, I did not need to make small talk, and they did not need to tell me about their quarter. But they did, and I needed it. We were strangers, but we connected over the demeanor that life, truly, is not serious, and that interaction was worth more than any penny, any quarter, or any dollar. To be inspired by someone living the lifestyle you live is what life is about. Spontaneity, human interaction, and maybe an 1982 quarter here and there, is all a person needs to get outside their little routine.
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