A Bite of Real Magic

All of a sudden, the lights dimmed. The auditorium fell silent, every set of eyes focusing intensely on the same point in the darkness.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

A few whispers erupted, anxious voices rising in eager expectation. Then, finally, a burst of red light and a familiar theme song as the Stranger Things title appeared across a giant screen above the stage. One hundred and fifty people clapped and whooped in unison.

This was what my kids and I came here for, to experience more of the story that captivated us on Netflix with a setting and characters we loved. It's the same reason people go to the movies, concerts, or sports games. We want to feel something, yes - but we want to feel it with someone. And not just anyone. With people who get it: the elation and magic of a moment when everything feels possible and somehow connected.

These places and moments bring us together. Today, they're more important than ever. Gadgets make "connection" easy. With the click of a button or tap of a thumb, we can post, text, or email whatever we want to say. Sharing our thoughts couldn't be easier. But you know what it's still missing? That magic. The spark of actual face-to-faceness that confirms you're actually here. You do exist. All this is real, not the stuff that gets posted or memed.

Plays, movies, sports games, coffee shops - they all offer some degree of real humanity. They're a step in the right direction. You can be alone, together (instead of just alone with your screen). Yoga, too, offers this feedback. You don't have to engage. But it's a start. You can show up, do your thing, and leave, knowing that you made some small connection with the human world today. Go, you!

Whether you engage with the people around you or not, you'll still likely bite off a piece of that magic for yourself. Laying there in resting pose at the end of class, your eyes closed, the tinkle of wind chimes outside, a handful of other lovely humans sharing the moment. It's one way to fight the power and pull of our increasingly immersive online lives. To feel and do something real. And a little brave.

And then you can share it on Instagram.

Because then it's really real.