Have you ever stopped in a moment and realized how alive you are? Entirely lost in the happenings, you have to pause and recognize the life flowing through your bloodstream. Your mind is light, your soul is free, your laughter is easy, and your feet are giving in to the music.
You stop to appreciate the breath that goes into your lungs. You acknowledge the taste of happiness and gratitude envelops your heart. You are aware that these are the moments that matter, above and beyond everything else.
You look up to the sky and thank the universe for allowing you this moment and holding off this long to ensure you got to enjoy every moment. You have been holding your breath, begging the ancestors to slow down time to let you nod your head to the following few songs without worrying about the show ending.
The birds hover under the clouds, joining in in the excitement. The men in the background are lost in their little world, with the thudding ball and aggressive shoving; they are happy when they score and are disappointed when they don’t. All in all, their feet hop across the concrete, sweat falling from their pits; with concise and precise movement, their hands guide them to victory.
Music fills the atmosphere, and the floors vibrate in agreement with all the feet stomping the steps as the songs change to accommodate the growing morale. There are shouting voices accompanying every tune, whistles blown as encouragement for those giving their time and talent to a constantly growing crowd of youth hungry for a distraction.
There is freedom in their steps, as they twist and turn their bodies, jumping and moving to the rhythm, everyone lost in the peace created by all this noise. There’s something about this chaos, how it makes a world outside the happenings of the world.
Here, you are aware of the collapsing world outside the gate; you can see the evidence of the troubles swallowing the earth on the faces around you, beautiful smiles hidden under masks. In this place, the problems of a world struggling to breathe are pushed to the background, and joy becomes the show’s star.
You can tell, from the dancing and shouting, the growing crowd, and the laughter that keeps getting louder as time goes by, that these people, like you, have found an escape. Chaos and order coexist in the giving of the youth, the dedication of the fans, and the talent in the performances and support in the crowd.
At this moment, as you nod your head to the beats, you recognize those lucky enough to move their entire bodies. You can see those who dance with their faces, with smiles and frowns conveying the emotion coursing through their bodies.
A world created every Friday by people who believe in the people they want to empower, an escape from a reality that is only getting heavier, and a promise to keep growing as long as you keep showing up. You, that nods your head because you have two left feet and can’t dance to save your life. You that dances from the back, away from any eyes that might notice the discomfort in your movement. You that gets lost in the music and lose yourself in every beat.