Toronto, Ontario
People, Drums, New Year’s
People in this city ride the transit rail all the time. The subway, which it is referred to, is that regular commuter that transports people to work, school, etc., to and fro. On this evening the ride has a different intent for mostly younger folks. Their destination is the City Hall, as it is ours, for the final countdown to mark the end of a year, and opening up what will historically be the one and only January 1st of 2015.
A group of us, monks and lay Krishna members numbering 60 strong, helped to fill one of the cars on the subway line. As soon as we stepped in from the subway platform sitting and standing passengers noticed our entry as we corralled in fully equipped with drums and anticipated faces.
“What are they going to do?” milled through the minds of the curious.
Here’s what we did. The train doors closed. The subway car moved south on the Yonge Street line, and after the first stop, the major Yonge and Bloor juncture, we waited for those doors to close once again. Two massive tom-toms with mallets and one additional djembe were poised and now rolling with sticks and hands to stir up the kind of excitement that ushers in a new beginning.
A core group of us sang, “Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy Happy New Year!” Response came. We delivered a few more bars of that, then we switched to “Hare Krishna…” That resounding vibe occupied the space of the people and stayed with the public for the whole ride and there ever after to the location of Old City Hall, that impressive building on Queen Street. Thousands were drawn in to the song and dance. The energy provoked by mantra and drum was nothing short of ecstasy.
May the Source be with you!
6 KM
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