Saturday, January 10, 2009

Workshop Musings — Collective Joy

It is great to have work in the shop during this time of winter weather extremes. CBC Radio One is my only companion during these gray days making wood chips. An interview with author Barbara Ehrenreich about her book Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy. To quote the Wikipedia entry:

"The author coins the term "collective joy" to describe group events which involve music, synchronized movement, costumes, and a feeling of loss of self. There is no precise word in English to describe the phenomenon."

So it is doing the "Wave" at a sporting event, dancing in the aisles at a rock concert, whirling with the Dervishes, shaking a rattle at a drum circle, singing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus with a thousand others in a great cathedral. Collective joy is something I need more of in my life, it is something that we all need more of!

1 comment:

lisa said...

Did you write that last paragraph on collective joy? That's really good! Have you ever considered moving off the island for a while and renting your house while you are gone? Maybe it might be fun!