Y.O.L.O.

What is it, really?

When I first encountered 'LOL', I was chatting online with a friend. Feeling like an idiot, I asked, what does 'lol' mean? 'Laugh out loud'. At the time, I thought it was such a stupid abbreviation, and I vowed to never use it. I observed that most people abuse it, over use it, and don't actually mean that they are 'laughing out loud' when they say it. Unfortunately, I too have fallen prey to this short-hand generation.

There are so many abbreviations that have found their way into our every day use of the internet.

TTYL- Talk to you later.
BRB- Be right back.
TGIF- Thank G-d it's Friday.
IMHO- In my humble opinion
GTG- Got to go
ATM- At the moment
BC- Because
FYI- For your information
GR8- Great
OMG- Oh my Gosh
THX- Thanks
ROFL- Rolling on floor laughing (I'd like to see that.)

I'm sure there are many to be added to this list that I have not even heard of, or have no use for in a conversation. Whatever the case, this trend seems to start with the youth, as they have little patience to actually say what they are trying to say. Therefore, carry an urban dictionary when talking to teenagers. Unfortunately, this trend has become widespread in the adult world as well, and you have well-dressed respectable elders saying 'toats' (totally) and 'cray-cray' (crazy). A little self-respect, please.

This newest acronym, which by now is actually quite old, (February- like, so last season.) is YOLO- which stands for, 'You only live once.' It is similar to the old adage, 'Carpe Diem', seize the day. But in what context is it used, and should it be seen as a positive or a negative word?

"Its appeal to the youthful is self-evident. YOLO as a shorthand mantra defines youth, on a certain level. What is teenagehood if not the adventurous, often foolhardy, desire to test the limits of acceptable behavior—because hey, why not? YOLO!"

There seems to be a sense that it is used in a reckless way. The urban dictionary defines it as 'the idiot's excuse for something stupid that they did.'

"Let's jump off the roof- YOLO!".

"Ditch class and go to the beach- YOLO!"

“You want to park illegally in this spot? YOLO!”

“Should I buy these shoes or pay rent? YOLO!”

It can also be used as a verb!

“All the times I come home after a night of YOLO-ing, I crave a delish slice to soak up the booze and sober me up.”

Of course, as we are taught in Chassidus, anything negative can be seen in a positive light too.

Carpe Diem. YOLO. What if this is our only shot? So many of us go through life scared of taking chances. I don't like new beginnings. I find them bothersome, and a bit frightening. Everyone has situations that they would rather not get into. Some people have a huge fear of social interactions, and avoid public places. Some people might fear failure so much, that they don't even bother trying. What if you were so scared of failure that you didn't show up for an interview for an exceptional job that could shape your career? Or worse, a first date with a guy that may very well be your soul-mate?

I'm not saying that we should live life with the 'YOLO' motto as our guide. It should not be used as an excuse to get away with utterly foolish behavior. It should not be used as something to fall back on.

But if used in the right way, it is a refreshing realization that we must live in the moment, seize opportunities, for they may pass us by and never come back again.

"One wry elaboration [of YOLO], credited to the comedian Joe E. Lewis in 1952, is “You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.”

Y.O.L.O. You only live once. Get it right the first time.