I have never craved for a standing ovation. I have never expected praise or demanded appreciation. But my attention to this anomaly gets drawn due to the fact when the host forgets to thank his guests and volunteers, and then goes out of his way thinking he can put things right by apologizing at a time when the event is at its final stage. Then he realizes that more than half of his guests have already left the building.
Worse still is also the moment when an announcement is made to acknowledge and thank me or someone else for something that was done at one's own free will. It is an embarrassment both to announcer and the receiver of the compliment, as the proclamation gets delivered only to the remaining few guests, some of whom by now have no clue what's going on. They also seem to appear slightly dazed! May be a case of one too many.
This sort of an episode may not be true just in my case. We are human. To err is human. All humans err. Whichever way you put it, all humans somehow "forget to remember", although sometimes some guys may conveniently do so.
I think it is a worldwide predicament that at times plagues the best of the Masters of Ceremonies. All goes well until you finally discover your omission and you say to yourself: "There’s always something, eh?" Ask me, I know. It has happened to me on several occasions, and I have gone home with a sad and heavy, or an apologetic heart. So readers with an experience more or less like mine need not be concerned or perturbed.
There are several instances such as the ones I would like to mention here. One of the worst nightmares is to forget to thank one’s wife for organizing an event. In such a case the day following the soiree might not be a pleasant one. Therefore always think of your wife first, thank her as soon as all the guests arrive, and then your mother-in-law. Also, even if your wife has not cooked anything herself for the occasion (even after the connoisseurs among the guests have shown great appreciation) it would very wise, in the least, to thank her for so keenly and tastefully selecting the excellent menu. And do not forget to mention the fine table center pieces that she has so carefully made herself.
There must be some truth in the fact that sometimes we forget or take for granted the ones we love most after all. Sometimes I tend to think that it must be me, for I have been also been forgotten to have been mentioned many times in my life. A few classic examples are perhaps worth mentioning here, albeit in a lighter vein. One was when my best friend forgot to thank me for taking pictures of his entire wedding when he thought I was good enough to replace a professional photographer. The second case was when I drove 25 kilometers to pick up the host's friends to the party hall. At another function my very own relative forgot to thank me for the giant posters and decoration I did, but she did not miss thanking her mother-in-law for the few stickers she put on the brochures.
Rest assured that I did not, at any of these events, go home feeling down. It fact, I felt sad for the host who probably had to go home feeling bad for not thanking me.
On the other hand, I too have inadvertently forgotten to thank people who have assisted me on several occasions without realizing it. This was probably because it was possible that it was not brought to my attention as the Master of Ceremonies. Next time if the host forgets to thank me then I must remember to thank myself for a job well done.
I am not self-congratulatory, nor do I seek praise. For I love the things that I do. I am not angry, but I should not forget to mention that there have been times when the host forgot to thank me for playing the violin (free) at a sung litany in Latin. We, "Goenkar" (people from Goa) call it 'Ladainha'. I love to do it as it takes me back in time, singing the melodic and joyous ‘Salve Rainha’ and wallowing in nostalgia of the good old 'Ladainha'
Now, am I forgetting to mention something here? Yes, of course. Before I forget.....thank you for reading this post.
Worse still is also the moment when an announcement is made to acknowledge and thank me or someone else for something that was done at one's own free will. It is an embarrassment both to announcer and the receiver of the compliment, as the proclamation gets delivered only to the remaining few guests, some of whom by now have no clue what's going on. They also seem to appear slightly dazed! May be a case of one too many.
This sort of an episode may not be true just in my case. We are human. To err is human. All humans err. Whichever way you put it, all humans somehow "forget to remember", although sometimes some guys may conveniently do so.
I think it is a worldwide predicament that at times plagues the best of the Masters of Ceremonies. All goes well until you finally discover your omission and you say to yourself: "There’s always something, eh?" Ask me, I know. It has happened to me on several occasions, and I have gone home with a sad and heavy, or an apologetic heart. So readers with an experience more or less like mine need not be concerned or perturbed.
There are several instances such as the ones I would like to mention here. One of the worst nightmares is to forget to thank one’s wife for organizing an event. In such a case the day following the soiree might not be a pleasant one. Therefore always think of your wife first, thank her as soon as all the guests arrive, and then your mother-in-law. Also, even if your wife has not cooked anything herself for the occasion (even after the connoisseurs among the guests have shown great appreciation) it would very wise, in the least, to thank her for so keenly and tastefully selecting the excellent menu. And do not forget to mention the fine table center pieces that she has so carefully made herself.
There must be some truth in the fact that sometimes we forget or take for granted the ones we love most after all. Sometimes I tend to think that it must be me, for I have been also been forgotten to have been mentioned many times in my life. A few classic examples are perhaps worth mentioning here, albeit in a lighter vein. One was when my best friend forgot to thank me for taking pictures of his entire wedding when he thought I was good enough to replace a professional photographer. The second case was when I drove 25 kilometers to pick up the host's friends to the party hall. At another function my very own relative forgot to thank me for the giant posters and decoration I did, but she did not miss thanking her mother-in-law for the few stickers she put on the brochures.
Rest assured that I did not, at any of these events, go home feeling down. It fact, I felt sad for the host who probably had to go home feeling bad for not thanking me.
On the other hand, I too have inadvertently forgotten to thank people who have assisted me on several occasions without realizing it. This was probably because it was possible that it was not brought to my attention as the Master of Ceremonies. Next time if the host forgets to thank me then I must remember to thank myself for a job well done.
I am not self-congratulatory, nor do I seek praise. For I love the things that I do. I am not angry, but I should not forget to mention that there have been times when the host forgot to thank me for playing the violin (free) at a sung litany in Latin. We, "Goenkar" (people from Goa) call it 'Ladainha'. I love to do it as it takes me back in time, singing the melodic and joyous ‘Salve Rainha’ and wallowing in nostalgia of the good old 'Ladainha'
Now, am I forgetting to mention something here? Yes, of course. Before I forget.....thank you for reading this post.
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