My good friend Beth Gallagher hipped me to this video produced by a group called Soul Pancake. They constructed a ball-pit in the middle of a busy city and put up a sign reading, “Take a seat, Make a friend”, and filmed interactions between people brave enough to participate. What ensues is beautiful.
For me this video speaks to the simplicity of human interaction. It speaks to the genesis of any relationship…the invitation. In this video, the ball-pit acts as the invitation. Fun, innovative, clever and probably a bit impractical. However, we can all be fun, innovative and clever. We all have this invitation inside of us. We all have the capacity to invite others into our lives. To ask someone “What’s you story?”
The ball-pit represents the ability to stop. Stop our ‘busy’ lives, take a seat and ponder what really matters. We all inherently belong to each other. We all need each other. We all should know each other. Tom Kohler says, “We need to get over each other and get with each other.” How true!
Best friends…
When I enter into philosophical thoughts (it happens), I always try to think of what the practical application may be. What is my invitation? A ball-pit? Sure. A frisbee? Absolutely. It’s also an internal invitation. A challenge to myself to be open, welcoming and inviting at all times to humanity. A manifestation of what I believe to be the most important aspect of life. It is a practice I’m trying to embrace, live and teach my kids.
So I invite you to find your invitation. You never know, friendship could be just a ball-pit away…
Come In From The Cold 
I really liked this… but it left me wondering, if I came across this ballpit and a similar invitation one day would I be brave enough to take part? I hope so, but lots of things can get in the way of doing what feels right! Those who did so in this video had the courage to reach out to others and the sense of knowing the importance of that, even if in doing so they may have initially felt a little foolish or self conscious. Thank you to all of you!
A truly inspiring video…..it brought a smile to my face and happy tears to my eyes. It’s a wonderful feeling to “find your common” with those people you meet. The video reaffirmed to me that we really are ONE…….Beautiful!
Beautiful video. Loved watching how hesitant the people were at first and then you could just feel them warming up to each other. Once the invitation is placed, and each can live fully in the moment(no matter how silly), such beautiful interactions are bound to bloom. Thanks for sharing. Feel motivated and propelled to spark more of these interactions daily.