By Rusty Draper
I’m starting to question my own sanity, while most of you have been questioning it for years. It all happened the other day while driving down the street. The day I’m speaking of was a beautiful, warm sunny day. There was perfect reason that every man, woman and child should be exhilaratingly happy. That included me … and I was in a wonderful mood.
It all happened when I reached the stoplight. I noticed that there was a young man on the sidewalk dancing by himself. Immediately the thought went through my mind that maybe he was trying to entice someone else into joining him. The second thought I entertained was that it was normally too early in the day for dancing, but who am I to make judgment on that. This young fella, maybe in his mid 20’s, just seemed a little too exuberant in his fancy dance moves. I just stared and pondered what was before my eyes. Maybe I was just jealous that my old limbs are no longer capable of such gyrating.
At best, most stoplights hold you up possibly for just a couple of minutes … unless that is you are in dire need to get to a bathroom. In such cases you can almost always expect the delay to be much longer. At this particular stoplight pause, it gave me ample time to see this kid’s body shake and maneuver in ways one would only see on “Dancing with the Stars.” I believe I was starting to get envious.
Since it was a marvelously beautiful day, I had my car window down. Then it dawned on me! There was no BOOM-BOOM music, and even when I zeroed in on the dancer’s ears, I could see no earbuds plugged in. “My,” I thought, “this man has music in his soul.” Now, I’m really impressed.
Not wanting to be outdone by this obviously “happy guy,” I thought of the many times when I would be alone driving my car and singing to the top of my lungs, AND yes, even doing a bit of a BE-BOP behind the wheel. Of course you could always count on some smart alec that would pass me with a huge smile on his face and beep his horn.
But, enough about me, let’s get back to my early morning dancing friend. I simply couldn’t erase from my mind what I had witnessed at the stoplight. At this point in my narrative I’m now enjoying a Covid safe, outside tea with my friend. GUESS WHAT? Yes, my unknown dancing friend walks by, or should I say “goes dancing by.” But now, he clearly has found a dancing partner. It was really quite the spectacle. A sight for sore eyes. Or is it a “sight for psoriasis?”
So, now let’s go back to my original question. “Who’s the wacky one, him or me?”
It was abundantly clear that my friend was no Fred Astaire, but he did have more moves than Chubby Checker doing the Twist. This man and his friend were not only happy, but they were expressing it well. Rusty on the other hand was admittedly happy, but failed miserably in any outward showing of his joyful feelings.
I know not the reason for this man’s euphoric high, but for my own lack of outward enthusiasm, I had no excuse. My happiness and contentment that day was clouded in the mundane, the boring, and was appealing to no one but me.
So, one day you might see me dancing in the street, flailing my body to the beat of NO music, and with a smile on my face like a Cheshire cat, you’ll know that I’ve discovered the secret of enjoying my happiness to the fullest.
Now tell me, who’s the crazy one? Then again, don’t answer that one.
Rusty Draper was born and raised in Gravenhurst. His first job in radio was at CKAR in Huntsville, and to end his radio career he was the first voice on Muskoka FM in Bracebridge. Rusty is also a pastor, author, and raconteur.(the fancy way of saying storyteller).
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