A few years ago, I saw a movie (The Story of Us) that really disappointed me. It wasn't a bad movie, really - it just wasn't what I was expecting from a movie with that title. In any case, I did come away from the theater with something that has stuck with me: the ritual of High/Low.
This ritual is a "game," I guess, played at dinner tables and get-togethers of any sort. Here are the rules:
~Every person must tell the high point (best part) and low point (worst part) of their day.
~It is permissible to have more than one high, but no more than one low.
~You must have a high, but do not have to have a low.
Basically, it's a way to simultaneously catch up on what's going on with the people who are important to you AND see your own day in a different light. If you can't come up with more than one "low" thing that happened in a day and have to find at least one "high" thing that happened, it's bound to look a little bit better.
One of my roommates in college saw the movie with me and was similarly intrigued by the high/low ritual. As a result, the rest of our friends were subjected to random shouts of "High/Low!" at the table in the dining hall....which meant they were then required to evaluate their days in the above manner. It works really well. I'm really big on things being intentional, especially in relationships with the people I love, so I like it a lot.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
High/Low
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3 of your thoughts:
What a good idea...! Will pass this on to someone I know who heads up counselling training; would make a neat exercise!
My sister did this with her two girls at the table once and I thought she came up with the idea all by herself! Glad you had a great Christmas filled with many highs, including your camera.
OH!!! NOW I get why you had only one low! You know, i liked the Story of Us. I thought it was real, and down to earth, and showed how a couple can push through and save a marriage even under the worst of circumstances...but it's been a LONG time since I saw it--back in college I guess--so I'll have to see it again. Anyway, it inspired me to work for a good marriage even way back when I didn't have any prospects. But I dont' remember the high/low thing. I do remember a washing machine overflowing, and that in the end, despite everything, they made up and that was what was important to me...but I remember distinctly that the characters and the situations were well developed and sufficientlyl drew the audience into the story and made them feel what the protagonists were feeling.
So sorry to disagree :-)
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