The Spirit of Columbia: Aglow

Some years back, during that window of time when I really, really cared about being involved in Columbia Association happenings and goings on, I found myself singing the same song over and over again on my blog and in meetings of the CA Board of Directors.

Why are we making decisions when young people and families with young children aren’t in the room? Why don’t we make it easy for them to be in the room? It looks like the powers that be don’t want them to be in the room. 

I was pretty passionate about it. 

My reasoning was that, if we want Columbia to live on into the future, we need to be including people of younger generations every step of the way. And not just including them, but empowering them. The exhilaration felt by participating in the creation of Columbia ought to be shared by newer generations as they participate in having significant roles in its continuation. 

This was not exactly a welcome message. I decided that I was done fighting those battles with those people.

All of those memories came rushing back when a friend shared a recent news article, complete with video, from The Banner. 

The Glow: An underground circus thrives in a Columbia backyard, Lillian Reed, Baltimore Banner

This is the accompanying video piece.

What’s this? An underground circus? In Columbia?

For the past five years, “The Glow,” an underground variety show that runs just two days a year, has hidden in plain sight in the Columbia village of Kings Contrivance, its cult following so word-of-mouth that many in Howard County don’t know it exists.

Even if you can’t access the article, watch the video.

My immediate thought: honestly, I didn’t know that Columbia was so cool. There’s life in the old gal yet.

My second thought: here they are. This is the younger generation that was consistently not invited to the table when decisions were being made. Young folks. Families with young children. Even if they seemed invisible during those long and ponderous meetings of the select few. 

Here they are. Building their own Columbia. Celebrating their own community experiences. Making their own creative worlds. I must say, it doesn’t look at all the way I imagined it and that’s probably why I love it so much. Here is the zany, collaborative spirit that lit an earlier generation on fire circa 1967. 

Cardboard boat races? Inflatable college buildings? Meet underground backyard circus.

Silly me. I should have known. When you don’t invite the younger generation to your party, they make their own party. 

Do I have any concerns as I view the video footage of a cheering crowd and brightly-arrayed circus performers? Sadly, yes. I’m waiting for the inevitable “neighbors complain to city council” piece on Fox 45. 

I sure hope that doesn’t happen. We have enough killjoys right here in River City. They don’t need any out-of-town assistance. 

“The world is full of uncertainty, especially right now,” said Caitlin Weiger, an aerialist who performs in a duo with Cooper. “It’s so nice to have a base of people that love you, support you no matter what, let you be your most authentic, weirdest self.”

Well, what do you know? Cities are fun. 

Village Green/Town² Comments