Funny hat night ...

What’s funny is highly subjective.

Making a goofy Easter bonnet from provided parts, or a faux Kentucky Derby hat – with the goal of being the most outrageous – is not funny to me. It’s stupid.

Sorry. But if you’re running a social event and feel you need to “spice” things up with a theme or game that involves everybody making a fool of themselves, I’ll pass.

I’ve never understood why event planners in social clubs feel compelled to introduce “contests” with ridiculous rules to force everyone to participate in teams. I know it may seem like a great idea at the time – sort of the answer to: well, what else can we do after we’ve eaten? – but it’s not. Most often some people enjoy it – the same folks every time; the rest of us endure it. 

That happens a lot here in The Villages. Which is downright bizarre. It’s not like we crave additional entertainment bolted on to an otherwise pleasant social get together. 

Honestly, this is a big community of the most active adults you’ll probably ever find. There are always people out on bikes, running, swimming, doing water aerobics, dancing in the squares to live music every night, and playing golf, Pickleball, softball, or taking lessons. 

Hell, there are over 2000 social clubs for everything from line dancing, quilting, target shooting, archery, reenacting old-time radio shows, and more. People here are busy. 

Yet somebody in a social club always seems to want to “spice” things up with games you’d expect to find at a senior center for folks on their last legs. Or a party for little kids.     

I went to one of the clubs I belong to the other night. The theme was Kentucky Derby, which is a sporting event up there with synchronized swimming on my list of things that interest me the very least. You could safely add Olympic short-track speed skating to that list as well. I simply don’t care who wins or loses in those sports. I’ve never understood why anyone would.

In fairness, the food that night was great. They should have stopped there.   

But, after eating, they held a competition to see who had created the silliest Kentucky Derby hat. To me, they all did. Then they had a game with big foam dice to advance contestants who had hand crafted wooden stick horses they decorated themselves.

Why? I don’t know.  I guess it was fun for them. I thought it was dopey.   

As I’ve said, what’s funny is subjective. Wearing silly hats and riding around on a kid’s stick horse – while making horse sounds – doesn’t do it for me.

It’s just evidence for a competency hearing: “Well, I went to visit grandpa and he came to the door wearing a hat with glued on plastic animals while riding a stick horse and neighing loudly.” 

Yep, guess who won’t be living on their own anymore.           

Truth is, if I want to make a complete ass out of myself I’m perfectly capable of doing that on my own. I have years of experience. I’m an expert.  I don’t need any additional props.

I don’t like “fun” games when I feel they’re too forced and too contrived. And especially when there’s no actual skill involved or a real point to the game except to consume time.  Or the primary goal is making you look like a senile idiot. Or it’s a mindless game better suited for an eight-year-old’s birthday party than for adults.

If you must have a game, why not poker?  Or beer pong?

Or even better, skip the game altogether. Let the adults eat, drink, socialize and be merry. Trust me, they’ll have more fun on their own. It worked for us as kids    

If you have to work too hard to get to fun for fun’s sake, it usually isn’t. Don’t ever force fun; just let it happen. And it will, naturally.  It’s really that simple. 

Socializing with others is fun.  Going out to dinner with others is fun. Going out to a dance with others is fun. Having a few drinks with others is fun. Meeting new people is fun.

Dressing up in costume for Halloween can be fun – I’ve done that many times, even on a cruise. I’ve enjoyed participating in Ugly Holiday Sweater events, getting Irish’d up for St. Patty’s Day, and getting Gator’d up for a University of Florida football game with other fans and alums.

I’m not opposed to dressing up for certain stuff, in other words. Still, if you’ll notice, all of the above aren’t about looking like a moron. Tacky and tasteless, maybe; dumbass never. 

There are many other ways to have fun.  It all depends on you.

There’s playing golf, Pickleball, softball, billiards, or Mexican Train with others. If you enjoy those things they can be a source of great fun for you. You can be fairly certain anyone you play with wants to participate, too. You’re all in it together.        

That’s fun. For you and for them.

More power to you.

Don’t get me wrong: I love having fun.

However, my idea of fun typically relies less on props and made-up games, and more on doing things I can now enjoy as a grown up. 

None of  us has time to waste anymore.