When a Song or Dance Just Feel Inevitable

Do you ever wish you lived in a musical production and that people around you would spontaneously erupt in song and dance? No? Neither do I. Okay, bye.

Well, that was a lie. And I am not here to tell you lies. Sometimes I do wish I lived in a musical. This is why I tend to love flash mobs. I love the energy, the strangeness, and the surprise. I know that, in reality, a tremendous amount of effort goes into planning these events, so it is not actually spontaneous at all. But, for the unsuspecting bystanders, it’s about as close to living in a Broadway musical as you can get in real life. Knowing that public places in Belgium, London, or just about any other city, could become the stage for an elaborate song and dance number makes life a little more magical.

I would love to be caught in a flash mob myself. My hometown once hosted a breastfeeding flash mob and hundreds of mothers arrived with their babies to nurse in unison. But, that’s really not the same thing and it’s not for everyone, especially if you’re not currently an infant or lactating. Plus, it’s hard to dance to.

Every once in a while, something will touch me so deeply it brings tears to my eyes. I love this feeling–it’s so life affirming. When my eyes well up with tears over something seemingly small, my children will look at my with bemused befuddlement. If you’ve seen the movie Inside Out, you might remember how the little girl got new emotional control panels as she got older. I think one of the buttons you get as an adult might be “tears of joy.” It seems to become more of a thing as we get older.

Until recently, I had never heard of orchestral flash mobs. Now I love them. This video is my favorite and it overwhelms me with happiness every time I watch it. We could all use a little Ode to Joy sometimes, I think.