Weirdos 🤪

On Sunday, my friends were hungover (I was smug and fresh after one weekend of being my best self!) and we were chatting about when we would "stop going out".

It made me think of when I started (legally) going out at the age of 18 and just kind of presumed this would be a short-lived thing. Sure wouldn't I be married by the time I was 25?!

(reader, I was not)

I used to see "old people" in the bars (on reflection - they were probably my age now - in their thirties), and think there was something wrong with them.

I remember I was at a festival in London when I was about 27. I was bopping away to Paul Kalkbrenner when I noticed "old people" dancing near me.

They were probably late 40s and they dancing wildly and free.

I paused my one-two-step to tap my friend on the shoulder, and nodded towards them.

"Weirdos" I said.

Aisling stopped and looked at them and just replied to me:

"It looks like they are having fun!" and she resumed dancing.

That actually stopped me in my tracks.

Who was I to judge how these people live their lives?

Who says there is a certain age that you stop going to festivals?

Who says you have to be married by a certain age?

Who says that there is only one way to live life?

Try catch yourself the next time you judge somebody. Dig deep on where that judgement is coming from. Is it societal norms that you don't even realise that you are holding?

I see some amount of "weirdos" on my travels, but when I notice a judgement, I just realise that they are not weird. They are just living differently to me.

If they are happy, then they probably don't care about my or your judgement.

I used to have friends on Facebook that I would see solo travelling and I used to think they were weird or something was wrong with them to go to another country on their own.

But by removing judgement and opening myself up to "weird" experiences - I've gotten so much more out of life than I could have imagined.

Judgement is normal, but try notice it and sit with what that brings up in you. Sometimes it can bring up things we are unconsciously craving ourselves, but it can take some deep reflection to find this.

I realised, that I hope that I am still dancing wild and free at festivals in my 40s (and beyond!)

Have a great Wednesday!

Siobhan "Hopefully not the oldest one at Tomorrowland" O'Hagan