woo (w)
v. wooed, woo·ing, woos
v.tr.
1. To seek the affection of with intent to romance.
2.
a. To seek to achieve; try to gain.
b. To tempt or invite.
3. To entreat, solicit, or importune.
v.intr.
To court a woman.
It used to be a word describing the intent of a man's affections. But a recent episode from How I Met Your Mother gives insight into a whole new woo.
Oh how the times have changed.
Watching this recently gave me a good laugh. And yet, I was struck by what it communicated about the inner and outer lives of singletons. At first glance, the representation made in this episode is that the Wooo girl pursues and embraces the life of the superficial. The Wooo! of such a single women is reflective of a woman where not much is going on beneath the surface of her life. Later on, when Lily (the married friend) discovers Robin (the single and recently unemployed friend) secretly enjoying and embracing the company of the Wooo girls, she questions Robin's depth as well as friendship.
Wanting to support her best friend, Lily determines that she too can be a Wooo girl...with disastrous results. To this Robin clarifies that the Wooo! is just a mask for a temporarily sad and purposeless life. She's not necessarily superficial...she is just temporarily disconnected from purpose -- found ultimately in the pursuit of work and relationships.
There are times as a single woman that life feels lonely. There are times when one can sit on the sidelines and perceive that other people have it more together than you do. There are moments when the question that weighs most heavily on a single woman's heart is, "Is this all there is to my life? Have I reached the end of me?" While I'm not sure that I would agree that my purpose is found ultimately in life through my work and relationships, Robin's insight makes me wonder – could it be that the Wooo! is more than just a verbal exclamation of small inner world? Is it possible that the Wooo! could be reflective of anything in life we're pursuing that we think will temporarily bring us life while we're waiting for what we believe is real life to begin?
So, I guess the question becomes, what does your Wooo! say about you?
Does it reflect a heart that is at bay and unsettled, desperately looking to other things and other people to give you life? Or does your Wooo! reflect a heart settled in the confident knowledge that there is One who loves you deeply...there is a One who desires your utmost affections..there is One who energizes even the most insignificant seeming pieces of of your life with meaning and purpose? Does your Wooo! reflect the One true Wooer of your soul?
[Links contain video clips that could take a few moments to load depending on your internet speed and browser.]
