I took the photo above in the weeks before the school closed the old dining hall to renovate it into a bigger, fancier dining hall. One of the things a lot of other people and I loved about our old dining hall was its disco ball. Shortly after I captured this sparkly moment, the school had a disco-ball-lowering ceremony to make sure we could have the disco ball in the new dining hall. I look forward to participating in the disco-ball-raising ceremony when the new venue comes online (in another six months or so).
I enjoyed the feeling I got every time the sunlight from the high-up windows hit the disco ball just right to sparkle the ceiling so much that I wanted to recreate that joy in my own home. When our builders in Maine mentioned in passing the stunning afternoon sunlight in what would become our bedroom, I bought us a disco ball. When we were visiting the not-yet-finished house (see photo below), I snuck the disco ball in, aimed a flashlight at it, and took video after video. The house is now completed and the disco ball remains. I look forward to basking in the afternoon light this summer and beyond.
Flash forward around a year to December, 2024. At our holiday party, one of my dear friends (Hi, BC!) gave me a set of disco ball earrings. (See photo below.) Later that month, another friend (Hi, MC!) gave me a hanging disco ball planter for my office. (See other photo below.) Then, two of the 2025s (Hi, AR and SS!) gave me a disco-ball bunny. (See another photo below.) I feel triply seen and loved. They really get me! The fact that I now own my own disco balls and can bring them wherever I go makes me so happy. It also makes me think about the idea that "Bring Your Own Disco Ball" isn't a bad life motto. Think for a moment, please, about the disco ball:
- It takes something broken and otherwise useless (broken mirror pieces) and turns them into something beautiful.
- It exists to catch and turn light into sparkles.
- It makes people smile.
- It can make any room into a dance floor.
- It can make any dance floor better.
- It can make any day into a party.
These are all great attributes, and as often happens to me, I started to think about them in less literal and more holistic ways.
And those big-picture thoughts about disco balls led me to consider big-picture thoughts about life. With graduation only a couple of days away (Huzzah, Class of 2025!), I've been thinking a lot about what final wisdom I can share with the kiddos I've been deaning for the last three years. Over my lifetime, I've heard many great commencement speeches chock-full of advice gathered through the ages, but I didn't want to steal someone else's idea no matter how brilliant. My sharp 2025s can find what's out there on the internet as easily as I can; my repeating others' words isn't going to offer anything new to the table. (Besides, one piece of advice I would definitely offer is to do their own thinking, to come up with their own ideas!)
And I was struck with the thought that we can all bring our own disco balls wherever we go. That's a pretty good lesson, but it's not finally where I landed. If I had one piece of advice to give my 2025s (and future students) about life, it is to BYODB, not BRING but BE your own disco ball. As much as I love to adorn my outside with sparkles, my real goal in life is to create the sparkles from inside myself. No, I'm not talking about being a unicorn who poops glitter. (You can search for those images for yourself.)
Look again at the attributes of a disco ball that I've listed above. We can do all of those things for ourselves and for one another with our personalities, our words, and our deeds:
- We can figure out what's broken/ailing and work to mend it.
- We can all seek out others' good traits and reflect them back in kindness and joy.
- We can all make others smile.
- We can turn rooms into dance floors, improve the situations we're in, and make every day feel like a party.
Dear Class of 2025 (and others still reading) these words, wherever you go and whomever you meet in your path, please BE YOUR OWN DISCO BALL. And also, share your responses in the comments.
And a final question for you hardos who've made it here to the very end: What do you think about my getting a disco ball tattoo? In my life, I've never thought of an image I'd want on my flesh forever...until now. Talk me into or out of it in the comments. (And if into it, where should I have this bodily reminder of my message?) And if any 2025s get disco ball tattoos, should I step up to get one, too? I welcome your thoughts.
Get a disco ball tat! On your ankle 👍
Hey Christian, Do you have a great tattoo artist to recommend? Will you get one, too? Are you coming to reunion? I look forward to seeing you here!
PUT IN ON A T-SHIRT! Also, it answers the age old question, WWCGD? BYOD, OFC! 💖
That approach would make more sense…Thanks!
Not sure you could convey the sparkle in a tattoo … unless you implant mirror chips I suppose.
Some of them look sparkly without actual light. Check these out.