‘Community Presence’: Finding joy in others’ joy

Angie Morrison is a columnist for the Independent. /Angie Morrison photo

By columnist Angie Morrison

Feeling excited to write my second column for this new publication, I sat down and started thinking about all the wonderful things to chitchat about and found myself completely stumped.  

I tapped on the keyboard a few times, letting some ideas flop onto the page, but it was equivalent to tossing seeds on the road and hoping they would sprout flowers. So after a few days of wrestling with ideas, I suppose I gave up. 

Perhaps, just like me, you’ve had a project on the table and simply couldn’t figure out how to tease out something that felt purposeful. 

A few days later, I was sitting in my favourite local coffee shop enjoying my latte, relishing the sweet smell of freshly ground coffee mixed with sweet treats and admiring the local art displayed on the rustic-looking walls. I had a book with me and there was no agenda other than to sit in solitude and take a break from other daily tasks. Then a couple walked in and went toward the counter, stopping at the display shelf of locally-made crafts. 

One of them picked up an item – their whole presence lifting in glee – and excitedly squeaked: “This is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

They joyfully passed it between each other commenting on the “perfect pink” and as they giggled with happiness examining the item from all sides, I couldn’t help but notice the corners of my mouth begin to turn upward. 

If you have ever heard of the German word “Schadenfreude” – the experience of taking pleasure in another’s suffering – well, my experience was the opposite of this. A quick Google search revealed a word that could describe just that – freudenfreude – used to represent finding joy in joy. 

As a bonus, say this word out loud a few times and see how your inner child lights up with delight! I was drawn in, sitting up a little taller, scanning the walls at the beautiful paintings, participating in these strangers’ enjoyment as if it were my own. 

It’s so interesting how our attention can be captured by the people surrounding us, how the moods and exclamations of folks passing by have the power to shift something deeply within us.  

Our interconnectivity exists even without verbal or physical interaction, and this experience highlighted the possibility that we can absorb the moods and shifts generated by those around us. 

These unsuspecting customers will never know that their simple outing to a coffee shop became both the stimulus for a creative endeavor and the cause for a smile.

I wonder when we participate in shared community spaces, what kind of impact do we leave? 

The invisible traces of emotion and energy, the lingering effects of both pleasant and unpleasant experiences – where does it go? While I can’t answer these questions, I can rest in appreciation for being an invisible participant of delight, an uninvited guest to an innocent interaction at a coffee shop.

In that moment, I realized I had been trying to force creativity. I had put pressure and expectations on myself when the idea itself hadn’t fully formed. Relaxing into the moment, simply living life, had sown the seeds for a fruitful story to share.

Angie Morrison is a yoga/mindfulness practitioner and Port Hope resident. You can find her wandering through forests and gardens or on Instagram @flow.with.amo.