Hello! Welcome and thanks for reading. This is Khalilah Ramirez, local peace dancer and servant of the universe. This Week in Peace is a column devoted to telling the tales of events that happen during the Dance of Peace. It is a pleasure to report for the community!
On Monday, the Dance of Peace took place at the MLK library in downtown San Jose. It is one of the largest libraries in the state. There are both clouds and sun in the sky. The clouds are blue, gray, white and purple. The wind is so high this day that the signage for the Dance of Peace is barely hanging on to the banister it is tied to. It is joyous to be dancing for peace in the cool, cold afternoon-evening. One lady rolled by in a mobile chair, gave a shout and offered some remarkable dance moves. She smiled and laughed. When she did this, it elevated the Dance of Peace to the level of touching a life in that moment. Touching individual lives is an activity which is vital to the spirit of the Dance of Peace. Later, a man passed by wearing a brown sports jacket. He walked back and forth several times looking curious, then decided to join in on the dance. He contributed stellar spins and joy seemed to light up his face. It is the highest level of entertainment, personally, to see people light up with joy.
Well, perhaps it IS possible to be highly entertained by brothers and sisters who are irate and outspoken about being so. Experiences and reactions of upset or disapproving citizens are typically left out of the articles because uplifting stories are simply rarer to read about in the news. The reactions in question are not seen as ‘negative’. All emotions are deemed natural, not taken personally. One young man with a pony tail was concerned that my shirt was much too short. Respectfully, I assured him that he had nothing to fear, that all clothing was cohesive and covering everything. Another lady ran away from the Dance of Peace because she felt that she was being exposed to witchcraft. Another lady yelled that the Dance of Peace was something that should only be done in Jamaica or in Africa! Laughing at the things that people say is sanctioned because it is a purely spontaneous response. The universe that we live in encourages good natured giggling forever.
On Tuesday, the Dance of Peace took place at the intersection of San Carlos and Meridian Ave in San Jose. While taking the 23 bus to this location, a young man said, ” Hi! Are you the lady that dances near the Togo’s?” Sometimes in these moments, shyness emerges for nowhere. The reply was a meek, “Yep…” We both laugh heartily with what feels like nervousness. “Can I join you out there for a while?” he asked. In the world of peace dancing, the words” can I join you ” are blessed, welcome, sacred and divine. It is now hot and sunny outside. We started with Mahalia Jackson, whose voice unlocks the spirit of peace from across space and time. This young man will be called ‘Matt’ because that was his name and he gave express permission for it to be used here. He carried the signage for the Dance of Peace. He procured ice water for both of us at the nearby McDonald’s. He gave his best dance efforts to foster peace in the heart of every citizen, and his own. Many passing by pointed directly at him and smiled. His steps were lively. His smile and good attitude endured the sweaty, hot weather. Thank you, Matt! This is ‘the way in which to walk’ that the title is referring to. Helping and serving the our fellow man, as this youth did.
Wonderful things followed this! Two cars going through the drive through gave monetary donations to the Dance of Peace. Wherever this happens, these bills are marked and officially become ‘peace money’. This label is derived form the fact that the bills were given in the spirit of peace, a heartfelt voluntary gift of generosity. Thank You, Ladies!
Lastly and most cherished, a citizen brought his daughters, ages 3 and 5 to this location for the specific purpose of watching the Dance of Peace. It is a dream of the Dance of Peace to be something upstanding and beautiful that parents will bring their children to see. These young ladies and their dad stayed to watch the entire time. They laughed, clapped and pointed. After the performance, I had the opportunity to meet them both personally. We shook hands and they talked in their cartoon voices as if we were old friends. It is an honor to be greeted in friendship by the children of the community. To inspire them makes the Dance of Peace worthwhile on all levels. Thank you and see you out there!
