This photo of the “Dancing Man”, taken on Elizabeth Street, Sydney, on 15th August, 75 years ago, the day WWII ended, captures the joy and relief of millions.
During that same year the song “Accentuate the Positive” with Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters hit the airwaves:
You’ve gotta accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mister In-Between
You’ve got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom, down to the minimum
Otherwise pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
Today I’m bundling up the joy from that Dancing Man and Bing’s words and imagining the dancing and singing in the streets when a successful Covid-19 vaccine is found. As in 1945, we will be grieving the fallen but at the same time embracing the opportunity to rebuild.
Feeling connected to our past by hearing the messages and stories of those that came before buoys us up and helps us to overcome whatever situation we find ourselves in.