Pleasure Notes

by Sharons Web/flickr

An amazing event happened yesterday as I was waiting in line at the post office. A man in front of me started dancing. He had on headphones. He wasn’t shabbily dressed, at least not for Hollywood. But he wasn’t just nodding to the tunes. He was FULL OUT GROOVING. And everyone else in line immediately averted their eyes, glanced nervously at each other and took a step back, including me.

And then, I was struck by a thought.

Why are we all reacting with a combination of fear, embarrassment and pity? Why are we assuming he must be some homeless dude off his meds?

Why does this man’s joyful dancing terrify us so, and make us so uncomfortable?

WHY AREN’T WE ALL DANCING WHILE WAITING IN LINE? Seems like a damn good use of our time…

If there had been any kids under the age of 5 in that line, I’ll bet they would have joined that man.

***

In the moment, as I looked around at the group of “adults” in which I found myself, I felt a little sad for all of us, for the exuberance and self-confidence we’d lost, for the self-consciousness and inhibition we’d somehow acquired.

I wished for a camera, to capture this man’s freedom. But then I caught sight of a woman ahead of me who was slyly attempting to record the line dancer with her iPhone.

She had a smirk on her face.

I wondered where her little video would surface, and with what kind of commentary. I had a sinking feeling the sentiment attached to the image would not be one of celebration but rather one of ridicule.

The man caught sight of her as well. His face suddenly sagged. He appeared to visibly shrink. He stopped moving. The music continued in his headphones but he became one of us, one of the expressionless adults standing in line.

It made me want to cry, to scream, to apologize, to encourage him to dance again, to dance in defiance myself.

But I did nothing.

And then a postal worker called out, “Next!” and the line moved forward and we all lost a chance for… something.

But I’m adding DANCING IN LINE to my list of intentions.

Would you have the courage to dance in line?

I’ve had a frustrating week. I’m job hunting and not only am I not finding what I want, I’m not even finding what I don’t want. But getting bogged down by depression, fear, resentment, or discouragement will only prolong the process. Instead, I’ve decided to focus on what makes me happy. Wanna join in the fun?

Can you think of three daily activities that consistently bring you joy?

What surprises me most as I addressed this question for myself is that I’ve come up with more than three things almost immediately. For the purposes of the exercise, I’ve adhered to the three item limit, but it’s incredibly reassuring to know that I have the luxury of CHOICE in deciding what to identify that consistently puts a smile on my face.

1. Meditating with my cat.
2. Steeping my morning cup of tea.
3. Slipping into my pjs at the end of the day.

Three simple, daily activities that I ALWAYS enjoy. They help me remember that no matter how frustrated I am with how any given day is going, it is NEVER all bad.

Isn't life just like a bowl of cherries?

So, what are three things that daily bring you joy?