Doing the Fandango

On our trip to Denali National Park in Alaska I told my husband I wanted to see a moose. I started thinking about a line in the Queen song, Bohemian Rhapsody; “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango.” I thought to myself, if I “see a moose,” I will do a “fandango.” 

Apparently a Scaramouche was a clown character from 16th century Italian literature.  A fandango is a lively Spanish dance for two people, or a “foolish or useless act or thing.”  Somewhere in my head I believed that a fandango was a silly dance, and knew I could do one.

We waited all day, and traversed the long drive from Anchorage to Denali National Park.  We drove into the park, and did a short hike near the entrance.  I told my husband I wanted to see a moose, yet there was no moose to be found along the trail.  Then we were steps away from returning to our rental car when a mother moose and her calf crossed the road right in front of us!  We grabbed our cameras and had a bit of a celebration. 

I saw a moose, and I did a fandango!

There is something exciting and restorative about doing a “foolish or useless act or thing.”  My husband took pictures which I posted on social media, and several replied with silly emoticons confirming that I made them laugh or smile by my silliness.  Then a few others posted the next line from Bohemian Rhapsody, “thunderbolt and lightening, very very frightening,” suggesting they entered into my silliness with me.  

I hope anyone reading this remembers to every now and then do a “foolish or useless act or thing.”  True silliness, and the laughter than comes thereafter, is a blessed gift of God.