Have you ever noticed that you can have days and days with nothing much to do but if there are three possible activities you are looking forward to they will all be scheduled at the same day and time? There must be some law of nature that explains the phenomenon. Setting priorities is a much more fun task when it doesn�t mean having to turn down fun.

Day-Hay discovered this problem recently. She received several invitations to Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and the parties that go with them. Several were for the same day. She had to chose between school friends and synagogue friends. She tried to establish a rule for her choice. She eventually decided that she could not do it by which party looked like more fun. She decided that she had to do it based upon who she spent the most time with. I�m glad that she recognizes the importance of the ceremony and the people and not just the fun. Much as she really is not one for finding God at a service, she intends to go to the service even for the one where the invitation was to the party and the service was supposedly optional. Every once in a while, I figure I must have done something right in teaching a kid values.

Mr. Philately and I have been having trouble with party invitations recently too. We really are not party people. We go to very few parties. Why then are all the goodbye and birthday parties on the same night. We basically are applying the same rule as Day-Hay and basing our choices on relationship rather than on how much fun the party might be. Mr. Philately is having a harder time choosing between a show that he is running and a seminar he wants to attend but I�m leaving the decision in his hands. (As if I have any choice!)

Kat too has several kick-off events for the new school year all at the same time. She has a youth group picnic and a theater group meeting. She�s picked the theater meeting. It won�t be as much fun but her interest in theater dictates that she treat that meeting as more important. Besides, anyone can be in the youth group. She had to put in a lot of theater hours to be part of the theater group.

Still, wouldn�t it be nice if people scheduled events according to my calendar? I can see myself talking on the phone. �No, Sally, you�ll just have to pick a different weekend. How about the following one? After all, you do want me there.�

Selfish, definitely. But a girl can dream.

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