Today was the day that Diversity came to town, and so did the rest of the north east!
There was a time, not very long ago, when I was so self conscious, shy and scared of people laughing at me, that when opportunity came my way I would back away from it very, very quickly. It didn't matter whether it was something for friends, family or work; I just didn't want to be involved. Then one day something remarkable happened. I became so aware of my own mortality that I suddenly found I was terrifed of living my life without actually living.
I picked myself up, dusted myself down and got the hell on with it; no one, not even me, would stop me having some fun!
Today, by 'eck, did I have some fun!
I learned recently that Stockton on Tees is in the top 100 list of crap towns in the UK. This both saddens and frustrates me. I've witnessed first hand over the last six months just how much effort Stockton has been and is putting back into the town, working hard to make their corner of the world nicer, more welcoming, more exciting, more enticing and a happier place to be both for its residents and its visitors.
Today, they absolutely pulled that off, helped in no small way by Diversity.
All for the making of a TV programme for Sky, the talented and charismatic lads from Diversity worked some of its residents to the point of sheer exhaustion. They made them dance, dance, dance and dance until their limbs did the moving for them without a moment's thought. These brave, wonderful people have been put through their paces in no small way, but the reports I've heard have all been incredible. Friends have been made, personal limits have been blown out of the stratosphere, bodies have been worked almost to the point of breaking, and it's all been done with smiles, laughter, camaraderie and a huge sense of pride.
I may not have been directly involved with this incredible project, but that made me no less enthusiastic to be a part of the final product.
Today was the first time in the whole of my adult life that I voluntarily danced, and I chose to do it in a crowd of thousands upon thousands, with the sun beating down and my body already crying, the threat... no, the promise of cameras absolutely everywhere.
What surprised me, though, was the number of people choosing not to participate. There were so many people stood around just watching, arms folded, still obviously enjoying the spectacle. I wanted to scream at them, "For the love of everything wonderful, DANCE! Join in! Don't just watch; be a part of it! Do something unusual, stop worrying so much and just... DANCE!"
I didn't scream at them. I did try some encouragement, as did the people who were with me, but all that did was make them stand somewhere else! But for all those people who watched from the sidelines, there were countless more who did join in, and it was a fantastic thing to see and be a part of. Mine will be only one in a face of thousands, but I'm there smiling, dancing and laughing, and wishing I'd done it all sooner; enjoying my life.
I don't want to say a huge amout about the TV programme or the events of the day because that's not what this is primarily about, despite the photos! This is about our lives. It's about our enjoyment of life, and our pride in ourselves, our friends and family and where we live.
Please, if you're one of those people who's negative about the town you live in, complaining that it's 'crap' or 'nothing ever happens', try opening your eyes. I know that Teesside is changing because I see it week after week. It's evolving and growing, and it's making steps to enrich our lives, but that will never happen if we're not open to new ideas and experiences. Other people can only do so much to make our experiences worth something more than a shrug and a frown; we need to let the good stuff in.
Today I danced in a way I've never danced before; with enthusiasm, joy and an abandon that I never knew was inside me, and what I want now is more. I want more and more new experiences, and I want to help create them, too. I want people to see what's good about who they are and where they live instead of concentrating on the negatives. I want that to be passed onto the next generation, and the next, until eventually the normal thing to do when we walk down the street is to smile and say hello, not to have our eyes cast downwards and our heads filled with negativity.
Recently a fellow chorister blogged, amongst other things, about random acts of kindness and how important they are, and I concur wholeheartedly. For the last 18 months I've been doing my best to live by that and I've discovered things about myself that I never knew before; positive sides to me that are gradually coming out as more time passes. Random acts of kindness towards our friends, families and complete strangers are all well and good, but we can't forget about ourselves. We need to remember to be kind to ourselves too, and if that's making a complete and utter fool of yourself in scorching heat on a high street in Teesside, so be it. If it's allowing yourself to go out and try something new just because you want to, fine. Don't forget about yourself. To make other people happy I think you need to be happy, too.
I've said it before and I'll say it again; open up your eyes and be prepared to see and hear great things around you.
Your town isn't crap.
The people in your town aren't crap.
Today thousands of people in Stockton on Tees danced and laughed and danced some more, and the sun shone down and smiled with us as we partied. Now... you tell me... how isn't that just bloody wonderful?
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