Sometimes, the most enjoyable events are those that you didn’t even know were going on, and so you never even planned on attending. You know you probably work too much when you only find out about the Pride fest wholly underway on your way home after a day of weekend work.

By coincidence, I rode my bike into the Pride festival venue near Vancouver’s Science World on my way home. The parade had already wrapped up, but the party went on. It was such a breather to be able to sit randomly on a lawn and enjoy a colourful performance while devouring my supper (or late lunch…) take out.

The brain voluntarily zones out and quits thinking about everything that was frustrating, exhausting, crushing, negative and unkind. For a few moments, you’re able to completely forget that there’s still work the next day, debts to pay, and commitments to make, because your brain absorbs the energy of a gathering where people are jolly, no one is judging, and you don’t have to be anyone per se but yourself. And the serendipitous nature makes everything level up – it’s as if it were all meant to be delivered as a pleasant surprise, to you and only you.

Everyday is a fluke in some way, you might as well make the best of it.