2021 has arrived leaving in its wake a year of terrible loss and sacrifice. A wellspring of hope has replaced despair. A fresh clean slate to create a new start. A blank page to begin writing the next chapter. All the things to build anew. We’ll take it. And I would add the suggestion to move your body.
The collective heaviness of the pandemic’s burden crushed the joy out of so many of us. News of a vaccine offered a glimmer of hope late in 2020 but only after the dam had already been breached; flooding every city causing nearly irreparable damage. Yet 2021 presents a new door to open, a new path to explore, and a new breath to take. Steps. Like dancing. One, two, three, one, two, three. Can you feel it?
Singing gives me life. A song on the radio acts much like a time machine, instantly transporting the listener to the past to relive a vivid memory. As you belt out the tune you embody your former younger self. All your senses remember what you needed at that moment. It was simple. All you needed was now. Wonder took care of the rest. You sway in the mood aglow with boundless potential energy.
My daughter loves to dance on a daily basis. My son does as well most of the time until the self-imposed restraint of adolescence steps in to inhibit the fun. Teens believe they’re on stage at all times which can absolutely stifle creativity or inspire reckless behavior. My wife will catch the mood to groove given the right tune. As for me, the passion begins and ends depending on my level of flexibility. Pro tip: it really makes a difference to stretch every day.
Now that 2021 has officially arrived, the reason for dancing seems self-explanatory. I think day one of the new year should have been a planned worldwide group dance much like the choreography of Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
Or perhaps it could have been akin to what the robotics team at Boston Dynamics put together.
It’s easy to envision this video defining the future of humanity. That we will choose to impart our passion to tech. Still, I hope that never comes to pass. We must feel the music. And never give up the chance to dance.
Happy New Year!
