I gave the night exactly two goals: drink a giant bottle of champagne and play some Big Buck Hunter.
That was the full plan.
The gathering came together on short notice. Friends and colleagues still showed up, and they let me be loud and boisterous while we worked through both items on the list.
There was also a homemade ice cream cake. That was not one of my stated goals, but it belonged in the night as soon as it appeared.
Big Buck Hunter did not require much explanation. It was an arcade game built around plastic rifles, fast targets, and the kind of competition that got louder as the game went on. Champagne did not make it quieter.
The next afternoon, I sent everyone a thank-you note. I told them I felt blessed to have such wonderful friends and colleagues. I thanked them for coming out, helping me make both goals happen, and accepting the volume that came with it.
I did not even have every guest's email address. The note asked the people who received it to pass my thanks along to the few people I had missed.
That detail felt right for a night organized quickly. The attendance list was less important than the fact that people came. Some knew me through work. Some knew me outside it. For a few hours, none of those categories needed attention.
We had a giant bottle, an arcade cabinet, homemade cake, and enough people willing to join a plan that was mostly noise. Both goals were completed.