Performance

In a Calvin and Hobbes strip, Calvin referred to the Shakespearean quote about all the world being a stage and said, "We need more special effects and dance numbers." I think I agree.

Wouldn't it be fun to encounter a spontaneous musical number in, say, the grocery store or the mall? Think of all the aggravated people stuck in traffic jams every day and how much easier it might be to cope with that stress if they all rolled down their windows, tuned to the same radio station, and sang along.

I think it would be fun. I can't dance, but I could sing. And, if nothing else, it would be amusing to watch. Of course, not everyone knows the same songs, but we have public address systems, radios, and portable music players. Those who know the words could sing along, and those who don't could just dance.

The problem comes when we consider the current American society's view of singing and dancing. Apparently, that's supposed to be reserved for children and trained professionals. If you're over age 12 and can't do it well enough record and sell your performances, you're expected to clam up. I'm not brave enough to challenge those societal expectations, so I suppose I'll just have to be content with singing the songs I know and like while I bike to work or do my shopping. And I'll just have to put up with the looks from other people that all seem to say, "He must be crazy."