Patrolling the Pond: FOMO and Why Gratitude Keeps us from Missing Out
Mike Miller, Member Lake Lotawana Association Board of Directors, Sergeant at Arms
FOMO. Fear of Missing Out. I had it last week when I had to miss the Annual Budget Meeting. Putting the budget together and then getting approval of the membership is a critical function of operating the lake and ensuring all services provided by the Association are adequately funded to maintain operations. So many issues related to safety and safe operations on the lake are tied to the budget that it would be nearly impossible to enjoy all we enjoy if it wasn’t for the efforts of some talented volunteers and everyone at the office that put it together, share it, and get it passed. You may say, “Well that’s what I pay dues for.” And you may be partially right. Volunteers are at the core of the budget discussion. They give freely of their time because they love the Lake. I am grateful for their service! BTW, the 2025 budget passed by a 3:1 margin.
FOMO II. With all of the early Christmas lights going up everywhere, I am beginning to think a lot of people have gone from Halloween directly to Christmas and the Holiday Season. Not all bad but what about Thanksgiving? I would truly miss Thanksgiving if we decided to skip it! This uniquely American holiday can be celebrated by everyone. The official holiday was established by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 but only after being lobbied by Sarah Joseph Hale, a Boston area lady’s magazine editor. She thought it would be a great gesture to bring the country together during a time of great divide. She was ahead of her time. Make of what you want of the legend of the first Thanksgiving in 1621, I will stick to it being a unifying event and celebration. It’s a time to show gratitude and be grateful for the blessings in your life. There are lot of benefits of practicing gratitude on a regular basis. For some Thanksgiving fun, you will find more on the proven benefits of practicing gratitude on a daily basis in this week’s Safer Seven Quiz. And, if you are the first to send me the answers to all of the Safer Seven questions, you will get a set of four Lake Lotawana coozies as a thank you for reading this article! Send your answers to [email protected] Onward!
The November winds are howling outside this evening reminding me of the dark and cold nights to come. The lake is looking pretty quiet these days with little to no traffic except for the lone fisherman and occasional warm-day, opportunistic pontoon captain. Water temps are slowly dropping albeit still warmer than normal for this time of year. The Lake Patrol boats are resting on their docks, covered, and ready for winter. You may occasionally see one on the water but at this point, patrols for the season are finished. This brings up a couple of important reminders for those who may venture onto the water:
- With no Lake Patrol on the water, make sure you connect with a family member or friend before you hit the water just in case you need to contact someone should something go awry while you’re out there.
- Check your fuel levels BEFORE you leave the dock. Running out of gas can be a lonely experience right now. Gas levels are likely at their lowest from summer use. Check your fuel levels!
- If you are towing some brave polar bears behind you on tubes, wakeboards, or skis. The rule for when you need to STOP towing is a bit different after September 15th. From May 15th to September 15th you can tow from sunrise to until 30 minutes after sunset. Between September 15th and May 15th, towing must stop at sunset due to visibility restrictions (see page Section N, Subsection 3, Part A, p. 20).
- While it’s not an official rule it also probably makes sense to flip on your navigation lights at sunset. The long shadows and longer sunsets of summer have faded to the faster and earlier sunsets of fall. Lights on at sunset is a good idea.
- Make sure you have winterized whatever needs to be winterized. I put this in as a public service as I have a friend from another state who thought his wife put the order in. She thought he did. He was met with a cracked engine block in the spring. Better safe than sorry.
- Tie down your toys for the winter. You don’t have to pay to register them in 2025 but you still want them around to enjoy. I see a lot of posts of things blowing down coves and into the lake this time of year. An extra rope or bungee cord will save you a trip and ensure your toys will be there to enjoy next spring (make sure you Lot and Block numbers are visible too).
I truly enjoy the Holidays. Seeing Christmas lights, even if it’s early November, is fine with me. The early darkness is no fun. I am totally supportive of keeping Daylight savings year around. I would be grateful for that! And like most of you, I have so much to be thankful for this year. And like most of you, I will share it all at our table this Thanksgiving.
I am also grateful for the opportunity to write this feature every couple of weeks. I hope you are enjoying it but more than anything, the goal is to provide some reminders of what it takes to keep everyone safe on the lake. We live in an amazing place that I’m sure everyone is grateful for in many different ways. And while there isn’t enough space to say thank you to everyone who gives of their time, talent, and energy to make Lotawana work, I thank everyone of you for what you do and what you will do in 2025 to keep Lotawana great! From brisket to budgets, you are all part of the lake experience. FOMO. Fear of Missing Out. Gratitude FOMO is a choice. It’s simple, easy, and beneficial for everyone to share and show gratitude. I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with friends and family. Thanks for reading and Happy Thanksgiving!
And until next time…See you on the Pond.
Safer Seven Thanksgiving Edition.
I thought we would have a little fun with Gratitude this week. Gratitude and reciprocation make our lake safer and a better place. But what does science say about gratitude? Let’s test your knowledge:
- You’re at the Canoe Club and see someone who helped you on the water last summer. You approach them and tell them thanks again and how grateful you were that they were there to help. Your happiness can increase as much as 10% just by doing one gesture of gratitude. True or False?
- Practicing gratitude regularly decreases depressive symptoms by 20%. True or False? A regular practice of gratitude like a keeping a gratitude journal can decrease depressive symptoms by 35%.
- Your sleep improves by keeping a gratitude journal. True or False? TRUE. Quality of sleep can increase by 25%.
- Showing more gratitude does not have any effect on your overall well-being. True or False? FALSE. Overall well-being improves. Increases in the release of dopamine and serotonin (feel good hormones) have been demonstrated in subjects who show and practice gratitude.
- You bump into Jack Jobe, Head of Water Patrol. You thank him for what he and his team do to keep the lake safe. Showing appreciation for someone in their work can increase their chances of staying on the job by 53%. True or False?
- You are on the phone with a Lake Association staff member. You go beyond just the simple ‘thank you’ for helping you out and tell them how grateful you are for their service every day. Their productivity could increase by over 80%. True or False?
- Someone on the staff or a Board member helped you with something related to your dock registration. They worked with you to problem solve. You thanked them but feel like a thank-you note would be even better. This simple gesture improves your overall well-being. True or False. TRUE!
In this season of Thanksgiving, we celebrate gratitude. But gratitude is not just for a season. It has a reason! A few simple actions of gratitude can make a huge difference in your overall well-being and the well-being of others. It sounds so simple but in this age of busyness, we often miss the simple things that make our community and others great. FOMO. Fear of missing out. Don’t miss out on the benefits that a simple gesture of gratitude can make for you and those around you.
References: Bouchrika, I., 35 Scientific Benefits of Gratitude: Mental Health Research Findings 2024. Education, October 2024