Raves and Angels
Sunday and the sixty-first Covid blog
It has been over a month since my regular weekly, fortnightly, monthly, blog.
Life has been getting in the way, a new academic year which normally busy, has been slightly bonkers and I seemed to have been abnormally socially, busy too.
I recently returned to our wonderful city’s Southbank to watch Shakespeare at The Globe, with “a promised friend.” Watching her reaction was beautiful and it’s why I love Shakespeare, he speaks to our hearts and the language barrier is lowered when watching. It is how it was intended, not to be read, but watched and loved and I couldn’t help feel he would be rejoicing, at someone experiencing his play with such emotion for the first time. It was so good to be back too.
It was also my birthday and it’s reaction was more than I expected, which made me feel truly blessed, by both family and friends.
Friday last, I was given the chance to ride again and this time I ‘cantered’ for the first time in forty years. Although I felt slightly sloppy in my positioning, it was wonderful to know that I could still do it and that it still felt just as amazing.
On Friday, I attended something entirely alien, having being sold an entirely different scenario.
My friend asked me in the summer to a attend a 90s ‘concert’ with her as she was going with a group of younger friends and felt she also needed someone of a similar age to join her. So, missing the wonderful experience of ‘live music’ I agreed, despite this period of music not really being a favourite.
The ‘concert’ was more of a ‘rave’ and trance like music more akin to Ibiza vibes, bucket hats and the like.
I danced, it seemed rude not to and I recognised the odd tune but what made it memorable was the kindness of the people I met, my friend’s friends and their international diversity.
A group of Science teachers and maybe it was our common link of education that made the connection, but really, I think it was more than that. It was that we are people and that’s what we have so been lacking.
Zephaniah’s poem “People Need People” speaks volumes. We are all the same, be it the exuberant young Portuguese teacher I danced with and his lovely Cabo Verdean girlfriend, the friendly Armenian lady I danced with, the young teacher with his fabulous rainbow eye make up or the Latin American dancer boyfriend of another teacher, with his very impressive swivel hips.
When we left, I hugged each one of them, greetings exchanged like we were old friends, I have missed people we, have missed people, and this feeling. The feeling of how wonderful it is that we are all one on this planet.
The decorations (rather than the music) that adorned the tent also sparked a teenage memory for me.
I was once promised a mix tape, which didn’t ever materialise. I’m not sure what the modern equivalent would be? For those old enough to understand its connotations.
Once we stepped outside I chanced upon yet another experience, one which filled me with awe and sadness for its existence:
The Knife Angel (Also referred to as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression) is a contemporary sculpture formed of 100,000 knives created by artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre, based in Oswestry, England.
The knives were given as part of an amnesty and the thought that these knives may have killed made me incredibly emotional, the angel’s face and open arms is breathtaking and spoke without words.
There was also an amnesty box for knives next to the sculpture, the installation is on tour around the country and it really is something worth seeing.
A stark contrast to the love and friendship I had just encountered.
It feels like the world is beginning to reconnect again and I love that life constantly surprises me.
I hope you reconnect to something or someone you love this week, and it makes ‘you’ smile too!
Stay Safe,
Joy xxx