Power to the Peaceful

Oh my god. My knee feels like it is completely shot. My feet are killin me. But I danced for an hour and half straight in Golden Gate Park with an amazing crowd where you could honestly feel the love from each and every one of them.

Now, I hadn't intended to dance today. The first artist we got to hear was Saul Williams who burned up the mic. The guy is an amazing spoken word artist and poet, and he combined that with a dj spinning wickedly bad ass beats. But I didn't dance...I just tried to take in what Saul was up there saying. He was amazing!

So, Dan and Hawley and I roamed around looking at booths, getting flyers, etc. We wound up sort of losing each other (they went their way I went mine) but we all had our phones (and how techno-savy does that make us? heh) and I had a good time perusing different things like organic tea and coffee, shirts handmade in Nepal (should have bought it dammit) and all sorts of other great stuff. Then I heard it...it sounded like Spearhead on the main stage. I grabbed my phone, found out where they were standing in the crowd and made my way to them.

Here is where it all went ever so right. I started dancing. I really couldn't help myself. The sun was shining, the music was amazing (well Spearhead is one of my top 10 all time favs), and everyone was just enjoying themselves. An hour and a half later (after jumping up and down most of the time because Michael Franti kept asking the crowd to do that), it was over with a song called Never Too Late (honestly, click the link and take a look at the lyrics). Best thing about it is that he asked everyone in the crowd to put their arms around their friends, lovers, the person that was standing next to them...silly as it sound, it was the most amazing thing all day. Hell, I even grabbed the guy who was standing next to me and put my arm around him. He looked slightly down because everyone seemed to be with other folks...who knows, maybe he had lost his friends. I just didn't want him to be alone at that point. I doubt I will forget how this show made me feel. It reminded me that people can be marvelous and loving.

Now, the slightly down side to having probably 25,000 folks around ya was that everyone was lighting up it seemed. No need to bring your own weed if you smoked it, there was enough wafting through the air for a contact high. Then again, i would rather have that than a bunch of drunken idiots. Drunks bother me. They are the ones that get into fights and stumble into ya and spill their beer on ya. Stoners? Well, at least you can say that they are mellow as a generalization.

I swear I saw everything from hippies to punk rockers (Anti-flag was also on the bill) to folks older than me and ya know what? Everyone was mellow and seemed to have a good time. There were no fights, although I hear that a drum circle had to be broken up but that happened after the festival was over. I just felt this amazing sense of happiness and love spilling out around me everywhere. And yes, it was just what I've been needing.

So I'm gonna spread it here. I want each and every one of you to have a big bear hug that shakes ya down to your toes. Who ever you may be reading this post, that hug is good unlimittedly. This is not a limitted time offer. So people, if I see ya...and I mean if I meet ya in person...you better expect that hug is coming.

"Power to the peacefull. Love to the peacefull." - Michael Franti