The day started off frantically, waking up on what would normally have been an idyllic Sunday morning sipping coffee and grabbing brunch with friends. Instead, it was a mad rush to be up at 7am, showered and presentable by 8 am, to dare the journey East toward the glistening lights, endless traffic and colossal glass buildings of Downtown Toronto.
I once read a greeting card that said, “I love you enough to get on the 401 at 5pm for you”. Truer words of affection have never been written, and anyone who has had to endure that test of driving patience, will understand me when I say, that I was grateful that this was a Sunday and not Monday morning.
As we drove towards my Toronto destination, I felt excitement and uncertainty. I had been asked to teach a group of women and non-binary people from an LGBTQ2A+ meetup group a dance routine for fun during their 2-hour weekly picnic in the park. It would be my first time teaching people who weren’t trained dancers, . I had no idea how the day would turn out, especially since I had only learned the steps the night before. But I live my life as an adventure and so regardless of the outcome, I was up for the challenge.
The song the meetup organizer chose was the viral Jerusalema song; back in 2020 you would be hard pressed to open any social media platform and not see or hear a version of the song played at least once. I mean the song was everywhere, and for good reason. The Afro beats, the voice of the singer, the meaning behind the words – it was a masterpiece. To me, the Jerusalama song feels like I am tapping into my ancestral DNA, with the beats, rhythm, and melody touching the deepest part of longing in my soul. Jerusalema was also a movement, unifying the world and offering light during months of silence as we waited through the first waves of our world pandemic.
It was a perfect choice. If a song could have colour, this one would be a brilliant rainbow projecting many colours in one beautiful representation, much like the people who attended the picnic that day = who were of different nationalities, economic backgrounds, different genders, brought together by their need for connection and their desire to try something new.
And dance we did. Within 10 minutes we learned our routine and the true Magic of our day began. As the Jerusalema song played from our speaker on repeat, we laughed and moved, and danced, raising our collective energies until it felt like a ball of light was growing, moving over the park, filling it, and then reaching higher than a tower. I have never experienced anything like it.
Maybe it was the day, which was bright, sunny, and unusually warm for September. Maybe it was because we were all craving human connection. Maybe because it just felt so good to be outside, among our community. Or maybe it was all these things. But every moment was magical. Even now as I recall the day I feel a sense of euphoria and an understanding that this is what it feels like when we let go of all worry, fear, and differences and see each other for why we really are: beautiful souls who just want to dance, laugh, and feel love and connection.
It was a feeling that none of us wanted to let go of, so we continued the day by eating together at a nearby pub, having random photoshoots among the muralled side streets of the Toronto neighbourhood, and sharing more tales. And laughing, oh so much laughter, until we finally though reluctantly (covid be damned) hugged and said goodbye.
By the time I made the journey back to Waterloo my face was stretched wide from laughing, my heart overflowing with joy, and my camera filled with memories of the day. Later I compiled in a video from this footage to remind me and all who were there of this incredible experience. Our homemade Jerusalema video is a priceless treasure that I hold dear, because now whenever I need to feel connected to the Universe I play this video and know that Life will always surprise us with Magic if we allow ourselves the opportunity to be open to it.
Guest post by Tammie of Tea Time with Tammie; Jerusalema Video Link