The Great Key
Posted on: September 25, 2009
The Great Key
I was going to call this section “The Great Secret,” but then I realized that the only person over ten who would not know this “secret” would have to be someone raised by coyotes in Idaho’s Craters of the Moon National Monument. Although most everyone already knows the secret of successful party-throwing, many as yet do not believe in it. Or, what is almost as bad–they don’t believe that using this Great Key can actually be any fun at all.
To illustrate what I’m talking about, think of your favorite time of year. Nine out of ten will say it’s Christmas. Why is that your favorite? Is it because of the gifts you get? Most people over about fourteen will say no, not really. Is it the decorations filling the house? Is it the food baking for weeks prior? Could it be the family get-togethers and neighborhood open houses? Is it the carols? Is it the giving of specially-chosen gifts to loved ones? Might it be the cheerful kindness in the air? Is it the spiritual significance? The answer to these and many other similar questions is yes. It’s the unique combination of all these things that makes Christmas so wonderful.
But, what if there were no radios and shopfront signs announcing “Only 103 more shopping days till Christmas!”? What if, on December 24, we suddenly said, “Gee, I guess tomorrow’s Christmas; maybe we should hang the wreath on the door or something”? Would a one-day holiday have the charm of the traditional month-long season? Of course not! It would hardly be more memorable than Labor Day, for example. And why is that, you may ask? Because it would be lacking all the joyous time spent in painstaking preparations and active anticipation. (One of my favorite Christmas poems from my childhood ended with the line: “Anticipation’s best; next, the remembering.”) A Christmas like that would be lacking the pleasure of PLANNING!
Yes, folks–as none of you would ever have guessed (heavy on the sarcasm here)–the Great Key to successful throwing of parties is PLANNING. (Ever heard that word before?)
Okay, now you’re saying, “So tell me something I don’t know!” All right, I will. Here is my second revelation:
Party Planning can be fun! (Sometimes it’s even more fun than the actual party is.) If you don’t believe that, then you have not been planning the right kind of parties.
No fun can be derived from merely “tossing” a party, like so much lettuce and croutons. You’ve got to put yourself into it–with a strength that you get from the rejuvenating tonic called enthusiasm, letting your creative juices flow and enliven your mind–and throw the party for all you’re worth! This takes planning.
In the next post, I’ll start on the 7 Tips for Successful Party Planning.
Ideas for the Party Human 
Leave a comment