The Shadowdancers, The Songwriter, and The Buffalo Rider

The world can be a scary place, and the uncertainty brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic has all of us feeling an unprecedented level of stress. The hardest part is that there is no end in sight, and as we go on, day after day, it’s easy to feel overcome and exhausted.

During these difficult times, it’s important to remind yourself to take a few moments to engage with something that brings you happiness. We’re stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean that our minds and spirits can’t wander through space and time to settle upon some distant place or memory that makes you smile.

My trifecta of happy places covers a wide spectrum of emotions, all of which provide a welcome break from the needless worry which seems to be the default setting. You always owe it to yourself to engage in the kind of joy that will give you the strength to carry on through moments of crisis. Even in times of sadness, you must give yourself permission to smile or laugh. These are the moments that make life precious.

The Shadowdancers

It’s amazing how sometimes the experiences you remember most in life come as a result of a fortunate chance or a happy accident. I was on a trip to Mancora in northern Peru when I noticed my two infant daughters had begun to dance with their shadows on the patio.

The temperature was pleasant and there was just enough of a breeze to give life to the curtain. With the sun behind them, my daughters began to spin and twirl, and I surreptitiously grabbed my camera and knelt to capture the moment.

They politely took turns, and danced without making a sound. With smiles on their faces, they lost themselves completely in the moment. As a father, it’s always a marvel to watch as your children learn to crawl, then walk, then run, then dance. It’s amazing the determination they show and the fearlessness as they stumble and fall and rise to try again.

There is a delight in life that young people can fall into effortlessly. They live entirely in the moment. They enjoy the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the breeze, and the coarseness of fabrics that brush against their cheeks.

When I look at these pictures of my girls dancing in the morning light, I am transported back to that moment where I too shared in their pure celebration of life. It’s funny to think that this moment was just a random dalliance before breakfast. Shortly after the dance, my wife called us down to the kitchen and our day went on as planned. I don’t remember what else happened that day, but I’ll remember that spontaneous moment of joyous dancing forever.

It doesn’t matter where you are. As long as you can feel the sun on your cheek and can dance with your shadow or along with people you love, you can embrace a truly profound happiness. So if you’re at home, take a moment to grab your children and dance.

The Songwriter

One of the great joys of the quarantine is that people are making more of an effort to reach out and support one another. Many artists have begun to host online gatherings that reinforce the sensation of community that we so desperately need.

Samantha Grimes is a Wisconsin singer and songwriter that performs regularly on her Facebook Page and on her Music Sanctuary group. She does both original work and covers, and it’s always fun to sit back and listen to some music that comes straight from the soul.

In the time before digital recordings, there must have been much more opportunity for talented singers to travel from town to town and entertain large gatherings. Today it’s depressing how you can hardly drive from your home to the grocery store without hearing the same corporate pop song played six times.

I prefer the music of real people, who make comments on relatable challenges and share them with close friends. Tune in to the music of Samantha Grimes on Facebook, and you might just discover it’s the perfect sound to lift your spirits and make you dream about better things for a while.

The Buffalo Rider

One of the most important things I’ve discovered about life is that it’s best not to take yourself too seriously. When I need a belly laugh, I always dial up my favorite YouTube video “Guy on a Buffalo.”

The internet is gloriously weird, and sometimes things that become popular are delightfully inexplicable. The “Guy on a Buffalo” video series was born when Jomo Edwards of Possum Posse began looking through some free use videos and came across a movie called “The Buffalo Rider” from 1978.

Instantly recognizing the potential, Jomo cut up the video, grabbed a fiddle, and began narrating like a musical version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The result is a one-trick pony of a song where the singer repeatedly taps into his own personal wellspring of perpetual satisfaction over the fact that the guy in the videos is on a buffalo. Somehow, the song just gets more glorious as it charges along.

The implication seems to be that once you’re on a buffalo, the world is your oyster. Jomo seems to consider riding a buffalo to be the ultimate mic drop moment, and I tend to agree.

The best thing about “Guy on a Buffalo” is when you force somebody else to watch it. I suggest turning the TV up full blast and introducing the song as if it’s something the viewer needs to regard with utmost seriousness. When the first credit comes up with the enticing title of Episode #1: Bears, Indians, & Such, you might find yourself hard pressed not to break out in laughter.

One thing I’ve always found is that the people you show this video to either are in instant agreement that it’s the best thing in the world, or they look at you as if you’ve gone insane. Either way, the result is highly entertaining.

Find The Joy!

It’s amazing where you can find happiness. One of the best things you can do to banish a dark mood is indulge in a change of scenery. With a stay at home order, that task is more difficult, but it’s not impossible.

Sometimes the moments that bring us the most joy are the unplanned circumstances that happen while we’re on our way to something else. Coronavirus is most certainly an interruption in the regularly planned schedule of our lives, but it also provides us with an opportunity.

We should all try to take advantage of this change in pace to discover new sources of joy. Every moment creates a memory, but it’s up to us to make those memories worthwhile. Stay healthy, keep smiling, and remember that together, we’ll get through this.