21 December 2024 – Today is Solstice, 2024, and the tilt is the story. Twice a year earth’s axis pauses that breathless instant, and then begins to tilt in the opposite direction.

Where the tilt goes, so goes light: strengthening with Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; ebbing with Summer Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere; giving all of us, whatever our hemisphere, reason to think about light.

I now define “light” very broadly, thanks to a friend who watched children at a Nutcracker performance dance in the aisles during intermission, and observed that light takes many forms, including delight and inspiration.

So I head out in the rain…

planning to walk my loop down-around the Cambie Bridge, and to see how much non-sunbeam light I may discover along the way. For example? Ohhh, whatever seems to provide us humans with inspiration, joy, energy, confidence, courage, resilience and the jolt of the delightfully unexpected.

Since all this is Inspired by my friend’s experience at the ballet, how fitting that my first observation is the window into the iDance studio.

It frames a scene warm with light, creativity, colour, and ways to live up to the studio’s motto, displayed on the back wall: “Don’t ever be too shy to dance your heart out.”

Down and around to the north/west…

and I’m closing in on Science World (L, above the fluorescent green-garbed pedestrian) and its mysterious clanking, whizzing tower of delights (R, with white struts, above the black-garbed cyclist). Still this far away, and I can already hear the sound effects.

Up close to the tower, people peer with fascination at the wondrous gizmos.

I finally decide to stop wondering, and find out. What is this?

I march into Science World and ask the Information Desk to tell me about the tower. Two people later, I learn it is called the Tower of Bauble, and yes it was recently restored, and yes, there is information on the website, and yes, here is contact information for Science World’s Director of Fun Times, who will be glad to tell me more.

I thank everyone for their help, promise to pursue this in January, and head back outside, in very good humour despite the still-pelting rain.

I start down Seawall along the north side of False Creek. Next to a marina building, with Plaza of Nations ferry dock on one side and BC Place Stadium on the other, I lean against a convenient pole under a convenient overhang, and spend a few minutes watching who is out there in all this weather — presumably bringing the light of satisfaction into their lives, as they pursue whatever it is they want to pursue.

In short order:

two runners…

two bicyclists…

two umbrella-ists…

and a motorcyclist.

Back into the rain — time to get on with my own chosen activity! — and more examples of what everybody else wants to do:

man and dog (and thrown stick), at play in the refurbished Coopers’ Park dog park..

passing ferries, at work and on schedule, their starboard and port lights flashing across the water…

three kayakers…

and, as I climbing the north-side ramp up to the Cambie Bridge…

an invitation to smile.

Off the bridge on the south side, heading east again — and more smiles.

It’s a whole convoy of determined walkers, setting themselves an impressive pace. The lead woman, first of all those yellow slickers, throws her arms wide in greeting as they approach.

There’s a place to obtain dog-waste bags, on the western edge of Hinge Park…

and, just a little farther along, a place to deposit your used needles.

(I remember the narcan-kit woman I met recently, and think that, oh yes, light in the darkness takes many forms.)

On Manitoba St. now, approaching West 4th., and I meet a pop-up crafts fair — “bringing [says the signage] the neighbourhood together by featuring local brands, artists & spaces.” Of course I go in.

I don’t buy anything, but I have some great conversations. “They just told me they’re not going to renew my studio lease,” says a potter. “That sucks, right? Except… I was kinda thinking I didn’t like that place any more. So it’s a good kick in the ass. Yah. It’s good.”

I meet Justine., and pause to talk some more. She is Justine Crawford, brand name Justine Crawfart (Crawf-art, get it?), with a selection of note cards that reflect her Asian heritage on her table…

and…

a Western magpie on her tummy.

It really is spectacular! I promise her a copy of the picture; she grins; we chat a bit more, and I’m away.

Fresh new winter moss decorates a tree on Ontario near 5th Ave., and a 2018 VMF mural (by Phantoms in the Front Yard) still decorates the building wall opposite.

Pretty soon I’m home, shaking off wet clothes.

It was a rain-pelting walk, and full of the light I like best — laughter and conversation and physical activity and creativity and surprises and curiosity both satisfied and slated for follow-up.

Sunbeams not needed.

Then, an hour later…

sunbeams all over the place.

May we all have light in our lives — received, created, shared. Of every kind.

Happy solstice.