Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Grinning at Joy

This is the best kind of voyeurism, hearing joy from your neighbors.
~ Chuck Sigars,




This video has made the internet rounds for well over a year. We watch it regularly at our house and often trace some or all of the journey on a map or the globe. It's a fantastic way to travel the world in a few minutes.

But it is more than that. It has a power and a lesson that goes deeper. It shows people from countries and cultures all around the world, who look a lot like us and our friends, dancing, joyfully, acting silly, grinning at the opportunity to be a part of something larger than themselves and make a connection, both local and global. It never fails to make me and my kids smile and make us feel connected to everyone else who has grinned and danced with the video on the computer.

Watch more of Matt and his journey here. (Note: not all content/language on the journal is young child friendly.)

3 comments:

Joanna said...

I love this more and more every time I see it!

gardening gal said...

when i was in a remote village in guatemala, with a group of women who spoke an indigenous language i could not, i happened to find a balloon in my deep bag of treasures. we played with this balloon in such a silly childlike way, laughing giggling as we tossed it around. it totally brought down the language or cultural barriers- we all loved the laughing and we connected.
whenever i see that video i am reminded of really how simple it is, the connecting.

Karen said...

Emma I love that image of all of you playing with a balloon like that. It doesn't surprise me at all that you could bridge that barrier so beautifully.