I just love this story because the news is so strange of late and at times very depressing. Within our country, national news is so bizarre as to seem like fiction. International news is not much better. So when I read about what South Korean elderly people are doing during the day for exercise, fun and probably a good dose of distraction, I thought to myself, "They're onto something!"
I'm referring to an article I read titled, "In Daytime Discos, South Korea's Elderly Find Escape From Anxiety." How are they escaping from the turmoil in the modern world, through disco dancing. "A discotheque hidden among the back alleys of eastern Seoul, is packed with hundreds of grey-haired couples on a Monday afternoon, dancing to local hits from the 1960s in a basketball court-sized hall." Sounds like a good idea to me. One of the customers said, "If you have music and a partner, you can put all other thoughts out of your mind."
So many thoughts...........
Of course for people who are on a spiritual, religious quest, dancing could well provide a temporary distraction from anxiety and frustration with the modern world, but those of us journeying towards God, we also have to include prayer and a quest for holiness. Pope Francis has advised in his latest Apostolic Exhortation-""Rejoice and Be Glad," that we model our life on Christ's life and that of course means growing in love, compassion and non-judgmental attitudes.
So we have to grow in holiness if we are serious about growing closer towards God ("Be holy for I am holy") And that is very good.
But I think it's good too, to enjoy oneself and reduce anxiety and negative thoughts and dancing might be a good answer for that, as the South Koreans have found.
NJA