It was a moment that could only happen in D.C.

My husband and I were sitting in the metro when two young men entered the car. This is not an unusual occurrence. What they said next definitely was.

One of the young men announced, “We are here to make y’all smile with a dance performance. We are trying to raise money to go to LA to audition for So You Think You Can Dance. You are not obligated to donate.” His friend echoed this sentiment. “We just want you to enjoy yourselves.”

The young men played Sia’s “The Greatest” and danced. It was no small feat; it is hard to swing around on the poles and breakdance in a moving car.

Of course, nobody but me was smiling and watching. Everyone was looking at their phones, frowning.

If you have lived in D.C., this will not surprise you. 

There was one young woman other than myself who was enjoying the show. She kept yelling, “This is amazing!”

When the music ended, she and I were the only ones applauding.

The came around with their bucket for donations, and some people actually donated even though they didn’t look up during the performance (I guess they were secretly enjoying it).

When they got off on the next stop, the girl who was cheering left with them. I noticed her getting on the next train with them.

She was a plant.

What is the point of this story? Work on your writing (or whatever art you do). Show it to other people. Be brave like the young men on the train. Chase your dreams. Even if you don’t get a positive response at first, you might be surprised with some money in your bucket at the end.

Also,  always have someone cheer you on. It never hurts to have a hype(wo)man. Just make sure she doesn’t wear a gold watch around her neck. Yeah, boy!