Who remembers having a mood ring when they were a kid?
Well, turns out they are still around. I ended up getting one the other day after playing games at Dave and Buster's with my best friend and our families.
Took me all the way back to middle school days. Ah...to be young again!
Or maybe I wouldn't want to be young again. I kind of like my life at this age.
The first time I put the ring on my finger, it turned bright yellow.
According to the legend, yellow meant I was delusional and dramatic and that I should go shopping.
I can't stand drama, and pretty much hate shopping, so clearly this ring knows nothing about me or the way I really feel.
I'm guessing the real reason it was that color was simply because my hands were cold.
The next day, the ring turned a color that wasn't even on the legend, so whatever mood I was in must have been very unique.
Damn it mood ring, you sure are fun...but your accuracy stinks!
It would be pretty cool though if there was a way for us to know what kind of mood people are in without them having to tell us.
Perhaps it wouldn't be a ring, but instead a thought bubble suspended in the air above our heads. Like the ones you'd see in cartoons.
They might say things like this:
I've had a rough day...please don't talk to me.
I'm sad...can I have a hug?
Clearly everyone around me has lost their mind. I sure hope you have something intelligent to say.
My kids just got on my last nerve. A story about how yours are driving you nuts too would sure help right about now!
If one more thing goes wrong today, I think I'm going to scream!
Loving life today. Please don't kill my positive vibe!
With that type of information, we could more effectively anticipate our audience and start the conversation with the right tone.
Otherwise, we're often flying blind, opening ourselves up to the possibility of misinterpreting how someone else is feeling entirely.
But then again, I think that's what makes life interesting. Trying to read people, gauging what to say or how to act in each unique situation.
Once in a while we nail it and the interaction is amazing. Everything clicks and we all walk away feeling positive.
Other times, we say something completely inappropriate and it turns the situation into a mess of hurt feelings and frustration.
It's in those times when our words come out all wrong that we get the chance to learn about ourselves and others.
When we see how our words actually affect people, we often have to explain what we said in a different way because they took it out of context. Or add color and clarity to something we oversimplified.
And sometimes, we just have to humble ourselves and apologize.
But that's all part of being human.
We mess up, we say stupid things, and we often misjudge how our words will impact others.
If we always knew exactly what to say and how to act, we'd never learn and grow.
My mood ring now sits on the kitchen counter. It's slightly too big for my finger, but I put it on once a day, just to see what it says about me.
It's never actually been right, but each time I try it on and the colors change, it makes me stop and think.
Today the mood ring says that I'm lavender, with tinges of black around the edges.
That color isn't on the legend (big surprise!).
I doubt that we'll ever have an accurate version of the mood ring.
So until one exists, we'll just have to keep being human, and use our own internal senses to try and read how others are feeling.
Let's look each other in the eyes, pay attention to verbal cues and body language, and be present in our conversations.
That's going to be more accurate than any mood ring or thought bubble.
What color are you feeling today?
Comments