​Shall We Dance?

 
I was sitting outside on a bench smack dab in the middle of campus on an uncharacteristically warm fall day. Students were milling about, chatting with friends, or having a quick snack before their next class. There was a melodic hum of voices mixed with the singing birds and the rustling leaves. School was back in session, and students and teachers embraced the change of season and schedule.
Then he boogied by me.
I first noticed the large pair of headphones that encompassed his ears. Then I saw that he was not walking like the other students. No, this young man was dancing his way across campus. It was a delight to see. The smile on his face could have lit an entire theater.
He started me thinking that if more of us moved to the soundtrack in our ears (literally or figuratively), we would be an overall happier society. So I took an imaginary walk through my day, picturing the responses of others as I danced into the coffee shop for my morning decaf, followed by a sidestep shuffle with a pirouette down the grocery store aisle, grabbing items mid-turn, ending with a slide (think Tom Cruise in his underwear) down on the line at the post office. Even the thought of it makes me smile.
Would people question my sanity or, like me, see my creativity as a breath of fresh air?
Unfortunately, as I watched my young man move, I noticed the strange looks and the wide berth many gave him. It almost felt like his happiness was a disease they were afraid to catch. Perhaps they were too stuck in the box of conformity to see that being different can be refreshingly exhilarating. Maybe these students were afraid to show any appreciation for the student dance for fear they, too, would be ostracized or rejected as other or weird—guilt by association.
What would you have done? Be honest.