If I Took #YOLO Seriously

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As of late I’ve had a plethora of my Facebook friends update their status along the lines of something similar to:

“Like OMG it’s Friday night! With all my [girlz/boyz] downtown getting crunk! Black out or back out! #YOLO”

And after I defriend them, I wonder to myself, is “YOLO” really about going downtown, taking pictures of yourself getting (or pretending to get) plastered, and blacking out in a pool of your own vomit in a public bathroom? Is life really about taking shots? Maybe they were thinking to themselves, “We’re totally YOLO-ing guys!” whenever Kimmy decides to go comatose and needs a helicopter EVAC to the hospital. Now, don’t get me wrong, who doesn’t like to party? But does this situation really deserve the honor of “You Only Live Once?” Apparently there’s a world full of “YOLO-ers” that have figured out life’s greatest moments, and my view of life seems to be a little shy of that.

Call me old-fashioned, but I never brag on Facebook. The whole thing just seems too… pretentious-asshole, attention-seeking, really-crying-inside. And as much as I love my friends, doing dumb things with them, and having a great time, it probably wouldn’t deserve a “YOLO.” YOLO’s implications should be much more positive. “You Only Live Once” conveys a message similar to that of the saying “I realize my life is temporary, and someday I will either ascend to the great beyond or simply cease to exist. I need to investigate as much of my own and the world’s potential in order to fulfill myself as a spiritual and physical entity of the universe.” And whether or not it may be true, you only live once. And while raging like a fiend may be a part of that, hopefully there’s more to life than tequila and regurgitated pizza.

If someone were to force me to update my Facebook status with the moments when I thought “YOLO” was a necessary hash tag, these would be included, at some point in my life:

  • “I just married the only woman that would ever complete me. #YOLO”
  • “Adopted a son. #YOLO”
  • “Started donating 50 cents a day for homeless animals. #YOLO #sarahmclachlan”
  • “I learned that money isn’t the answer, but family is. #YOLO”
  • “I just made the best Bananas foster crêpes. #YOLO #pauladeen”
  • “I just changed my name to Nickolai Zelovanokoff. Moving to Russia #YOLO #lovethosefurhats”
  • “A man’s left testicle hangs lower than the right to account for the scissor motion of the legs. I love having the opportunity to go to college. #YOLO”
  • “I came out to my parents and friends. I’m not ashamed to be gay. YOLO#” *
  • “Just revived my old high school band, Karmel Karl and the Milk Man. #YOLO”

*Homosexuality not a personal preference but something I respect for others.

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