on applause

The last note of the piece rings out and the piano fades to silence-

Hands clap together like the start of rain.

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I have always been uncomfortable with applause, with that much energy directed towards me at once. I preferred to acknowledge the room with a wave of the hand and get off stage as quickly as possible, letting the next act begin.

But I’m realizing that appreciation and connection are reciprocal. There are two parts to the exchange – the offering of a rose, and an earnest acceptance of it.

With how interwoven social media has become with our daily routine, one would think that we have become better about appreciating and recognizing. To that I would say, unfortunately we have only become better at efficiently exchanging superficial acknowledgments.

Working on acknowledging, appreciating, and giving better applause.