I had a rather busy day, last Sunday. After breakfast, I busied myself in my garden for an hour or so before I hopped on a city bus to go downtown. I had to go to a printing shop to prepare some more of my students’ art for The Peacebus!!!
After I left that shop I decided to relax on a bench for a moment, to enjoy the sunshine and music. Music??? Hmmmm… where was that coming from. I tried to look across the street to see but there was so much traffic bustling by that I couldn’t see a thing.
Wait! I did see something in between a small break in the cars and buses! I went to investigate further.
Of course! How could I have forgotten!! It was ‘Car-Free Sunday’ in downtown London, Ontario and in over 80 other cities around the world!!!
It seems funny that some people still think that ‘the end of the world’ is upon us. They think that humans have destroyed the planet so viciously that there is no hope for the future. I firmly believe that these thoughts will bring about that nasty reality. I also know that so many MORE people think that this period of the Earth’s history is ‘the beginning of something magical’. I firmly believe that these thoughts will bring about our glorious reality!
Every time I turn around another global environmental campaign is touching the lives of millions of people. Four years ago saw the beginning of Earth Hour. Last year I participated in the world’s first March For Peace. Last year I participated in an event entitled ‘350’, where concerned people raised their voices to support the need for a world full of clean air. Earthday – or should I say Earthweek – is just around the corner and now the newest global peace attack has just past… Car-Free Sunday!!!
As you can see this downtown street had been closed to traffic so that Londoners could celebrate healthy living and happy learning. Many thousands of people attended and most of those people were under the age of seven!!!!
Let’s see what was going on…
Well, the good ol’ sounds of Rock’n’Roll were what first caught my attention so I sat and listened to a few more songs.
A little ways down the street were a few booths promoting and recruiting people to help out in community clean up projects… a very worthy cause.
I really enjoyed how many of the street activities were gear towards the children of the area. A few smiles lit my face while I was watching the antics of these children doing a little light yoga!
Another area supplied children with skipping ropes and hula-hoops to entertain the adults who walked by.
After the louder bands had finished playing, many smaller groups of musicians filled in the scenes throughout the core of London, including this violin player…
…and these buskers belting out an interesting rendition of the Beatles classic ‘Norwegian Wood’.
There were a few artists out to enjoy the sunshine on this afternoon as the crowds milled past their inspirational creations.
Further down the street a second band stage had been set up and this group of rockers got the crowds clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Not bad for students in grade seven!!!! I thought that it was interesting that on this ‘Car-Free Sunday’ that the band ‘U-Turn’ should be playing… I smiled!
Street dancing, or break dancing was born when I was in elementary school… many years ago, and I thought that it was pretty cool to see that this form of expression has continued to survive through the last three generations.
Another form of expression that I’m hoping will continue to survive over the next many generations is the celebration of eco-friendly working and living on planet Earth! I’m a part of it… are you???
Jim
After I left that shop I decided to relax on a bench for a moment, to enjoy the sunshine and music. Music??? Hmmmm… where was that coming from. I tried to look across the street to see but there was so much traffic bustling by that I couldn’t see a thing.
Wait! I did see something in between a small break in the cars and buses! I went to investigate further.
Of course! How could I have forgotten!! It was ‘Car-Free Sunday’ in downtown London, Ontario and in over 80 other cities around the world!!!
It seems funny that some people still think that ‘the end of the world’ is upon us. They think that humans have destroyed the planet so viciously that there is no hope for the future. I firmly believe that these thoughts will bring about that nasty reality. I also know that so many MORE people think that this period of the Earth’s history is ‘the beginning of something magical’. I firmly believe that these thoughts will bring about our glorious reality!
Every time I turn around another global environmental campaign is touching the lives of millions of people. Four years ago saw the beginning of Earth Hour. Last year I participated in the world’s first March For Peace. Last year I participated in an event entitled ‘350’, where concerned people raised their voices to support the need for a world full of clean air. Earthday – or should I say Earthweek – is just around the corner and now the newest global peace attack has just past… Car-Free Sunday!!!
As you can see this downtown street had been closed to traffic so that Londoners could celebrate healthy living and happy learning. Many thousands of people attended and most of those people were under the age of seven!!!!
Let’s see what was going on…
Well, the good ol’ sounds of Rock’n’Roll were what first caught my attention so I sat and listened to a few more songs.
A little ways down the street were a few booths promoting and recruiting people to help out in community clean up projects… a very worthy cause.
I really enjoyed how many of the street activities were gear towards the children of the area. A few smiles lit my face while I was watching the antics of these children doing a little light yoga!
Another area supplied children with skipping ropes and hula-hoops to entertain the adults who walked by.
After the louder bands had finished playing, many smaller groups of musicians filled in the scenes throughout the core of London, including this violin player…
…and these buskers belting out an interesting rendition of the Beatles classic ‘Norwegian Wood’.
There were a few artists out to enjoy the sunshine on this afternoon as the crowds milled past their inspirational creations.
Further down the street a second band stage had been set up and this group of rockers got the crowds clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Not bad for students in grade seven!!!! I thought that it was interesting that on this ‘Car-Free Sunday’ that the band ‘U-Turn’ should be playing… I smiled!
Street dancing, or break dancing was born when I was in elementary school… many years ago, and I thought that it was pretty cool to see that this form of expression has continued to survive through the last three generations.
Another form of expression that I’m hoping will continue to survive over the next many generations is the celebration of eco-friendly working and living on planet Earth! I’m a part of it… are you???
Jim
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1 comment:
I shared your link on facebook (: very nice commentary and photos!
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