where are you
So, what makes you happy?
A full mark on your chemistry midterm? A dinner with a couple of friends? Or a date with your crush?
Maybe all, maybe none… everyone finds happiness in their own way. I hope.
I look over the trees and see the mountains; they’re green, obviously. I feel calm, breathing at a regulated pace, and my heart beating at 70 bpm. Nothing’s wrong, what can go wrong?
A sunny day: the sun shines on the mountains, decorating the green trees with golden sparks. Quietly observing the trees swaying along the gentle summer breeze; what a great day to go out. But I didn’t go out. Instead, I took out my sketchbook and pencil, enjoying the beautiful rhythm of the lead tip and paper.
I drew what I saw—the golden mountain. Of course, I wasn’t able to apply the colour, but shadings should be more than enough. I smiled as I drew. I feel calm.
Hey, wanna go out? A voice came into my ears. Why would I? Cause the weather’s nice. That’s not a valid reason. Fine.
But I still ended up going out; the weather sure is nice.
We walked and walked, without a destination, without knowing what would appear at our next turn. It was fun, and I felt calm. I started observing what people were doing. There were some people in suits rushing their way to the subway station; also, some people who stared at their phones while they were walking, unintentionally bumping into things on the road. I even accidentally burst out a laugh once seeing them keep on bumping into the poles.
Two women were having a conversation in front of the coffee shop and seemed to be wondering if they should go in. And finally, a group of people circling around the centre of the park. What’s going on?
Hey, let’s go check that out. I pointed at the crowd.
Music. I heard music from speakers as we approached. I made my way through the crowd, kept on saying excuse me and my friend is at the front, to finally pass the crowd and see what was going on. Interesting: it’s a dance.
Why would people dance in the middle of a park? Don’t they do it in studios or on stage?
Then, the song ended, and the dancers walked back to the semicircle that they formed around the centre, the opposite of the crowd that I had to pass through. Another song started. I saw the dancers vibing along with the music and seemed to be feeling it out. I wondered when they would dance again: aren’t they prepared for the performance?
Everyone was standing, but I started to feel the aftermath of the walking growing in my legs. I sat down, despite the stares of all the people around me. I didn’t notice, though, focusing intensely on the dancers’ movements.
After about thirty seconds, someone finally jumped in and did a few moves, until a second, a third, a fourth joined. They danced in synchronisation along the chorus. This amazed me. Wow.
I saw the rays of sunshine dropping on the dancers’ shoulders, basking in an aura that surrounded the performance. Fascinating. They smiled: I could feel their passion towards the dance, even though they didn’t seem prepared. Fascinating. I smiled.
Hey! I turned over. You saw that? That’s crazy. Wait… where are you? I couldn’t hear the voice anymore, it seemed like they’d never existed.
The sun continues to radiate its energy. It was warm. I squinted my eyes as I looked up at the sun; hey, you made my day. I smiled as I stood up and walked through the crowd again.
I jotted down the scene that I saw at the park in my sketchbook. I smiled, as if I could see their smiles.
So, where are you?
Where is the thing that makes you smile, makes you find happiness in your (possibly) mundane life?
Maybe it’s indoors, perhaps it’s outside. But it never hurts to go out on a sunny day (of course, except for the sudden rains in the afternoon). And when you find your smile, why not share it with not just me, but all the others around you?
Smile = Medicine. I guess it’s true.
