“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Have you ever been to Carnaval? I traveled to Salvador, Brazil, to witness (okay, okay, and participate in) the debauchery and mindlessness. Imagine the scene: thousands of youngsters dancing to Brazilian pop in the streets—in the scorching summer sun, three eight-hour days in a row. Your feet don't touch the ground as you get swept up in a sea of hedonism. Not for the faint of heart.
A crowd was gathering ahead of me. The cause of the commotion? It was a couple in their 70s. Both were gray-haired and the man had a cane. But, I assure you, they were not your typical senior citizens. They were dancing with each other, dancing with the kids next to them, and occasionally dancing by themselves. Their unconditional love for one another, their embrace of the moment, their warmth and openness to the motley crew around them—I was humbled.
I'd like to make them proud—those two strangers, who survived so much together, dancing the whole time.
A crowd was gathering ahead of me. The cause of the commotion? It was a couple in their 70s. Both were gray-haired and the man had a cane. But, I assure you, they were not your typical senior citizens. They were dancing with each other, dancing with the kids next to them, and occasionally dancing by themselves. Their unconditional love for one another, their embrace of the moment, their warmth and openness to the motley crew around them—I was humbled.
I'd like to make them proud—those two strangers, who survived so much together, dancing the whole time.
— Sasha Grinshpun