Everybody Gonna Dance Tonight

Everybody gonna dance tonight
Everybody gonna feel alright
Everybody gonna dance around tonight

He was just so happy! So this is what happiness was, eh? Well, he thought, its worth it all. Its definitely worth the work. He was walking...no, skipping...down the crossings, across the roads, along the walkways. He hit some of the pedestrians, rushing about in a hurry, and apologized smilingly. It was such a beautiful world. He looked at the skyscrapers, gleaming mirrors of the sky and of buildings adjacent. The sun shone on them, and he had to shield his eyes off the reflection. They were so glorious. He looked at the clean streets, and the cars whizzing by. And couldnt help but smile. Why were they in a hurry all the time?

Everybody gonna dance around
Everybody gonna hit the ground
Everybody gonna dance around tonight

He walked into gardens and parks. He took his shoes off on the cobblestone paths. He'd look up under trees, to watch the wondrous greens, to watch thin bars of golden sunlight stand through and hit the ground below. He'd lie down on lush green grass, run his fingers slowly and smoothly over the blades of grass, feeling every one and knowing each one. It must seem so silly to everyone passing by, he thought. He looked at them. In double-breasted suits, carrying leather bags and briefcases, they were going to work, their faces grimly set in determination to the day ahead. They would be on their phones all day, in and out of meetings, pondering over papers and typing on laptops. They would be doing their important things.

But for what? Ha ha! He knew, they didnt.

Well you can come on to my place if you want to
You can do anything you want to do

Everybody gonna dance tonight
Everybody gonna feel alright
Everybody gonna dance around tonight

People who saw him, noticed him over their cellphones and their papers and their laptops, raised their eyebrows and wondered who he was. And what in the world was wrong with him. Some smiled contemptuously. He wasnt worth the thought. There was big, big important work. They were big, big important people. Some others smiled curiously. What was he damn happy about? Why was he bloody grinning like that? He has no business doing all this on the streets, they thought. He has no business running in the park like a six year old, they thought. But they envied him a bit too. Then their worlds brought them back to the earth. A phone rang, or someone spoke, or the laptop announced a new work-mail. And they promptly tossed him aside, without another thought.

Everybody gonna stamp their feet
Everybody's gonna feel the beat
Everybody wanna dance around tonight
Everybody's gonna dance tonight

He'd woken up this morning, wanting nothing. It was a strange feeling, he wondered then. He'd always wanted the next level, and wanted the next prize. And this was very odd now, to not want a thing. He thought over it a long time. It had broken him down. He felt he could die.

He'd sat on his bed. And as he pondered his death, for surely there was nothing ahead now, he reflected back. He thought of his promotion the previous day. He thought about his share in the company's profits. He thought of graduation. He thought of days spent studying diligently to get here. He thought of the hours of overtime and work. He thought of single-minded dedication to get to what he wanted, and then the new prize and then the new peaks to rush to. And a thought came rushing up from he knew not where - What for?

And he thought of his wife, who'd stood by him all the time. His loving, caring, indulging wife. He thought of the sports in school days. He thought of the parties in college. He thought of the new cars he had outside. He thought of the beautiful house he owned. He thought of all he had. And he realised, he had come a long way.

So much to be happy for. And so little time given to really indulge the feeling. There had always been so little time. Slowly, luxuriously, an old warmth rose in him. It came up his toes, it ran over his legs, it rose up above his stomach. It lightened his knotted head. It twinkled on his fingertips. His face loosened from a frown. It turned around, and he smiled. He grinned. He chuckled. He couldnt help but laugh. He was so warm. He was so light. He was so happy. He could jump for joy. With more energy than he thought he had in mornings, he ran outside. He wanted to celebrate. He ran, and he skipped, and he hopped, and he smiled at everyone. Laughing eyes looked at everything anew.

Everybody gonna jump and shout
Everybody gonna sing it out
Everybody gonna dance around tonight