How Sweet It Is

I’m thinking of the night of Obama’s election, Biden’s election victory, the Giants World-Series win that I saw on big screen TV’s at Yancey’s bar, the Warriors NBA Championships at the same place. The roar of the crowd as we collectively exulted that something extraordinary had happened, the wave of united emotion as strangers became instant friends. That was the chill up my spine when I logged into Stephen Colbert from Hong Kong and heard the hooting and hollering of his audience as he announced the long-awaited sentence: “Trump is indicted!!!!” 

The day already was filled with so much joy and beauty with 50 mostly-new participants in my workshops so gleefully playing children’s games and creating inspiring little group compositions/ choreographies/ group improvisations. There was the extraordinary lunch vegetarian banquet with some 15 different dishes made from tofu. There was the daughter of one of the participants who gifted me with a package of Ritz crackers because she worried I might get hungry working so hard. There was the reunion of several SF International Summer Course graduates, so happy to be together again in joyful music-making. There was last night’s weak wi-fi suddenly strong and the next Warrior’s win on Youtube highlights and a dinner ahead at a Portuguese restaurant.

But nothing topped the indictment news. It was like a broken fairy tale where the bad guys getting their just desserts kept getting postponed time and time and time again— for almost seven long grueling years, to be exact. All that anticipation foiled over and over until we grew helpless and hopeless and despondent that the right thing would ever, ever happen. And now here we are. Still many obstacles between indictment and conviction, but sitting alone in my hotel room, I felt the surge of the Colbert crowd and was lifted to the skies.

I know as a Buddhist that my happiness should never depend on outside news, be it good or bad. But damn, this feels good. Knowing the unleashed crazies who can follow the bastard’s lead to wreak more havoc in his name, I should be cautious here about exulting too much. But let me have my moment. 

Finally, finally, finally, the right thing is happening. How sweet it is.