There is a certain lightness that captures the air when I am in rooms like I was tonight – when I am around people like the ones who graced the stage tonight.
I finished a book recently called Phosphorescence. The entire book is dedicated to the idea of finding light in the dark places – of digging a deep rabbit hole down onto an unpaved path… Although tonight’s thoughts initially had nothing to do with my recent readings, it wouldn’t be right to talk about tonight without addressing this…
There is science that shows humans and nature have the ability to glow… like actually. Yes, I mean an actual gleam where if you turned the lights off, you’d see something more than the pitch black.
One of my all time favorite things in this world is discovering an environment, or meeting people who, when they walk into a room, or speak about a certain thing, or perform a certain action or activity – they glow. You know exactly what I’m talking about…
I think there is such magic in speaking with somebody and noticing a shift in how wide their eyes open when a certain topic is brought up.
Tonight was a night like that.
I spent a lot of my childhood on stages of all kinds – spanning from sports fields and courts, to dance studios and stages. There were two summers, almost a decade ago now, where I spent 8-10 hours a day in the studio, only to practice again in the hallways late at night, all to then have costume fittings, countless dress rehearsals, and weekends full of shows.
I felt like I glowed in those moments.
At a time where it would only make sense that my body would have broken down and legs would have given out, I would step out on that stage and feel like I was flying.
As I sat in those Ryman pews tonight for the very first time in my two years living in Nashville so far… I witnessed a band that glowed.
As they strummed their guitars, laughed between verses, and danced on the vintage carpet they’d set out for the show – I swear, there was light that poured out of their pores.
There is a certain specialness that occurs when you are having fun – and further, allow yourself to show it. To share it…
Caamp shared it tonight, and I am oh, so grateful.
What a gift it is to share our joy – in fact, I’m starting to wonder if it’s a tad selfish to just keep it all to ourselves.
I think as we move away from childhood, there is a certain conditioning that occurs – “don’t show that you’re too excited… how childish!”.
And you know what… exactly. How childish.
We say that like it’s an insult, but I find myself admiring people the most when they’re openly allowing themselves to jump up and down or squeal with authentic excitement.
After standing in a room with people who made it glow, I realized two things –
- How much I miss the stage… I will never get those show days back. Those 8 hour rehearsal days that, at the time, I crawled through… they are gone. BUT what an absolute honor it is to have experienced something like those moments that gave me that phosphorescent feeling – to have taught me that was possible.
- I want to surround myself with people who let themselves glow – who challenge themselves to find what lights their personal match, even if it’s entirely different from the next person or myself.
You know how when you light something on fire, it almost always catches onto the nearest thing – and then spreads even more…
I think that’s how finding and sharing your light is.
I think I have come to realize and believe that discovering what makes you glow, and then doing it, makes other people glow too. It’s contagious…
And just imagine if we all did that… I think we’d absolutely light the world on fire.
So, what lights your match?
