When is Enough, Enough...or Too Much?

I don’t really ever go out of my way to watch fireworks anymore but my husband happened to have the TV tuned to the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular and I decided to join him in watching the show. We are originally from Long Island, so we are quite accustomed to the sights and sounds of these displays over the East River; always a big production, as are most events in New York City.

After the opening musical number and accompanying pyrotechnics, I commented that it was what small town displays could only hope for as a finale. After seeing an aerial view that was shot through lots of smoke, and well before the finale, my husband looked at me and said, “OK, I’ve had enough of this. They’re dragging it out and it’s too much.” I agreed, but we watched it to the end. During the 25-minute display, 75,000 shells were exploded over the river; that’s over 3,000 per minute and almost double the amount used 5 years ago. This 25-minute show takes almost a year to plan and a minimum of 8,000 hours to plan the show, pack the shells, set up, etc. Every year the numbers increase, especially the cost. It is estimated to be over six million dollars, just for the fireworks! When is enough, enough?

This got me thinking about various times when one needs to say, “When is enough, enough…or too much?” Here are some examples that came to mind.

Many years ago, while dining at a restaurant in Germany, I decided to order Steak Tartare for dinner. Previously, I had only eaten it as an appetizer. If you are not familiar with this dish, it is raw ground beef (of a high quality) that is served with raw chopped onions, capers, a raw egg, and a variety of seasonings. My Steak Tartare was delicious. Well, it was delicious until I’d reached a point when it wasn’t. It began to taste like raw hamburger. It was when I’d realized that I loved it as an appetizer but not as a meal. Enough was enough. It was too much.

On the morning of 9/11, after watching the towers collapse over and over and over, I reached a point where I said, enough is enough and I walked away from the television and went outside to sit quietly on my patio. My brain, heart and emotions had had enough. It was too much, visually, and I needed to take a break.

And then…there’s social media. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Tumblr, Instagram, just to name a few, are an everyday part of people’s lives. In the beginning, it was nice to use Facebook to catch up with old friends, to share photos with family & friends, and make some new friends. Now?

It has become a place of animosity, false information and too many inane posts. More and more people are getting fed up with social media sites and closing their accounts. Why? Because enough is enough. It’s too much.

A friend of mine used to watch hours and hours of television coverage of tragic events. She would say, “Oh, this is so sad. When will this all end? I can’t take this. It’s making me ill.” I would look at her and say, “Turn off the damned TV and take a break!” Another situation where enough is enough…and too much.

And what about the times when someone stands up to a bully or physical abuser? They do so only when they can say, “Enough is enough. This has gone on too long!” The same applies to an alcoholic, drug user, overeater, gambler, etc. who reaches rock bottom and gets help. Enough, is enough.

Four years ago, I reached a point in my life when I was tired of putting myself down, feeling unworthy, giving up pieces of myself to make others feel better about themselves, and just not living an authentic life. I started seeking help from people I really trusted. I began shifting thoughts and habits. I began watching less TV. I became more selective with the programs I watched on TV and the movies I went to see at the theater. I began journaling. I found myself reading more books than I had in a long time. And why did I do all of this? Because I’d really felt that enough was enough.

There are so many more examples of this in day-to-day life. Where anything is done to excess, the question begs to be asked. When is enough, enough…or too much?