You know what I miss? Well, that’s a loaded question because there are a lot of things I’m missing during the pandemic, but what I was thinking about is a flash mob. I miss flash mobs. Those seemingly spontaneous group dance performances that spring out of nowhere, but are always choreographed and energized to perfection. I loved them. The joy of being in the moment, even if it was all pre-planned, for me, as the observer, felt like it was serendipity. It was playful. It was like building a snowman or swinging on the play set at recess. I miss that.

I’m taking a class right now that’s outside my comfort zone. I’m bending my brain in ways I haven’t in a long time. It has been modified for online learning, which has limitations that the instructor is trying to overcome. But the limitations are there, and I feel like I’m sinking into quicksand, a little bit. Right now I could use a flash mob dance to help me shake off the tension and rediscover the joy of experiencing something new.

Maybe a clever song or rhyme would help me process the complicated concepts in my class. Remember that episode of Happy Days where Potsie sang “Pump Your Blood”? Yeah. Something like that. I’m making it sound like I want to live in a musical. Ha. Maybe I do.

When the world shutdown in 2020, opera singers serenaded their neighbors in Italy, and in large cities like New York, neighbors played instruments together in informal jam sessions from their individual front porches. We found ways to do things like practice yoga, learn a language, or study calculus while we were separate but together. We discovered new ways to connect with each other, even at a distance.

In other words, we got creative. Oh how I need a creative spark to ignite my braincells! I need a flash mob.

When all of this is over, when we can breath the same air again, can we please have a spontaneous dance party? And can we learn through games and songs? Can Serendipity lead the moment, just for a bit?