Tuesday, November 17, 2009

And this smile is brought to you by...

I love these Flash Mob videos. Caught this one on the JMG blog and it made me smile and boogie.

It's one of two things that I came across today that was uplifting. And believe me when I say that they were really welcome.

The first happened while cappuccino-ing at my favourite Starfucks. I was meeting my BFF and while I was waiting for my cap. to arrive, the server (very cute blonde, very friendly) who took my order leaned over the counter and kissed his boyfriend (I assume). It wasn't a passionate tongue-fest, just a quick kiss that you would see a wife give her husband at the door, or a couple give each other as they return to work from their lunch date.

I found this very moving. This is a very busy Starbucks that is in the middle of a downtown campus. The place was crowded with students and other people of all nationalities, yet there wasn't a hint of hesitation as this young gay couple leaned over the counter and did what straight people do all the time without giving it a second thought.

Wow, we have come a long way, I thought. It made me smile.

Returning home from work, I was in my usual glum mood of late. It seems "Ray" had disappeared and in his place, this unhappy, sardonic shadow walked the planet in his place. I miss him and feel guilty about foisting this impostor upon my friends and family. So, as usual I sat at the computer to catch up on emails, send off a few "tweets" and check headlines when I came across this fabulous "flash mob" video shot at Sidney's Bondie beach this past weekend. (It's November for chrissake - I hate them!).

These youtube videos are great. It's like every musical fantasy I had growing up. You're in this pedestrian setting like a mall or church then suddenly everyone breaks out into a dance. ...who could ask for anything more?

I believe that I was born at a very special time in history. I experienced rock and roll & the Elvis craze, teened through Beatlemania and the sixties civil rights movements, disco'd and jazz-handed in the seventies, and witnessed the tragedy of AIDS and neo-conservatism in the eighties.

I never thought I'd live past fifty and now that I have, It feels that I spend much of my time facing life through a rear view mirror. My younger self was so busy running away that I was only too happy to burn bridges and break away from my past never believing in an instant that I would ever want to "go back". Of course, as we all know, home becomes more and more a magnet as you get older. There are some bridges that can't be rebuilt and some that shouldn't be but there is one that I would really love to fix. And that is the one leading to the person I used to be.

So, until I do,I'll take my happiness where I can find it; with good friends, good music, good scotch and a great big musical number led by a big old drag queen.


2 comments:

  1. Well. I must begin by making it about me: I'm your BFF?!!!! Oh happy day! Best news I've had all year ( seriously).
    I want to address your comment about guilt surrounding imposing the "sad Ray" on your friends and family. I think it brings up a deeper fear we all have- fear of the Dark Emotions- the "bad emotions". As you know, I am going through my own dark, scary jungle right now, and my therapist ( yep, cliché) has given me a book to read that looks at the possibility of dealing with these emotions in a different way.
    Maybe these Dark Emotions- Fear, sadness, grief- aren't bad at all, maybe, just maybe, they are a window, albeit a tough one to get through, to a brighter, happier us?
    We as a society have decided depression, sadnes, grief are things to hide, to be ashamed of. Well guess what? I am finding out we ALL face it at some point. So maybe it's time we learn to face these Dark Emotions & work with them. Learn from them, and, most importantly stop feeling guilty about them.
    I love you Ray; I love you Happy, I love you sad, I even love you rude & weird on the phone- I just love you.
    Have a great day..
    xoBFF Fanny - allthough i think Dan will have somehting to say about that!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fair weather friends abound yet few are those who stay around when we are going through the "bad emotions" . Those who do represent the true measure of friendship.

    Enough with the guilt already!

    ReplyDelete

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