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Description
"That's what it's all about!" Children sing and clap, dancing along with the well-known tune of the Hokey Pokey. As they smile and cheer, I wonder, "What if the hokey pokey is, in fact, what life is all about?" Could the meaning of life on this earth reside in such a simple song and dance? Possibly. Looking around at the people in my life, I see that only three different kinds of people exist: those who know that the hokey pokey is what it's all about, those who don't believe in the meaning of the hokey pokey, and those who just can't seem to grasp the concept.
The first group, which includes those who have found meaning behind the simple lyrics of the children's song, proves the most pleasant to spend time with but the most difficult to fully join. They find happiness in the little things in life and understand that the meaning of life rests in the rare, beautiful moments when they can just enjoy the wonder of life. They laugh, love, and dance without a care because they know their true selves and proudly display their personality to the world. They stand strong in their beliefs, exclaiming their view of life to the world while welcoming others and loving whole-heartedly. They have found peace. Unfortunately, few people can honestly claim to constantly hold this view of the world. Being human, people will second guess themselves occasionally. The people in this group might lose their trust in the certainty of the meaning of the Hokey Pokey. When the going gets tough, members of this group may lose confidence and drift into another category for a time.
The second type of people, consisting of those who remain untouched by the meaning of the Hokey Pokey, stands lost in the dark. They struggle to find true happiness, getting caught up in false joys from work to money to dishonest relationships. They stand stiffly on the sidelines of life, watching the dance enviously and making fun of the childlike Hokey Pokey-ers. Though they may recognize the real joy of those who have found meaning in life and may long to join them, their worry over what others may think of them holds them back. They follow strict paths that others have set for them and fear their true selves. The idea of real connections with other people scares them, leaving them alone, shy, and self-conscious. These people continue a fruitless search for peace. Each member of the group may hold a different reason for their disbelief in the wonder of the Hokey Pokey. They may forever remain lost or may be dragged kicking and screaming into the circle of the Hokey Pokey, only to find themselves enjoying their new outlook on life.
The final group of people gets lost between the two other groups. They may find happiness occasionally through passing moments of peace, but they fail to understand the meaning behind these moments. They hear the Hokey Pokey, know the dance, and may even join in the fun, but the meaning of the song and of their joy becomes lost in the confusion of their hectic lives. These people do not know why the Hokey Pokey-ers show such enthusiasm for life or why the bystanders sit quietly, glaring. They drift to either of the sides, occasionally losing themselves in false hopes of success in work, school, or relationships and occasionally enjoying carefree moments of living. They may become inspired by the rhythm of the Hokey Pokey or may be sucked down into the dark abyss of angry non-participators, so their fate remains uncertain.
The Hokey Pokey plays in all of our lives. Some of us refuse to hear the music, some of us cannot find the beat, and some of us may continuously dance the beloved dance. We may struggle in our search for meaning in this life, sometimes gaining a profound view and sometimes second-guessing our every thought. The groups may seem very different, but in truth they share many similarities: They search for happiness. They sometimes fail. They sometimes find truth. They sometimes lose their way. Whatever the case, each person of each group hears the same silly song, and everyone has the chance to turn themselves around. As I hear the music, I think to myself, "The Hokey Pokey may seem like just a song and dance, but then again, maybe life is too."

Description
"That's what it's all about!" Children sing and clap, dancing along with the well-known tune of the Hokey Pokey. As they smile and cheer, I wonder, "What if the hokey pokey is, in fact, what life is all about?" Could the meaning of life on this earth reside in such a simple song and dance? Possibly. Looking around at the people in my life, I see that only three different kinds of people exist: those who know that the hokey pokey is what it's all about, those who don't believe in the meaning of the hokey pokey, and those who just can't seem to grasp the concept.
The first group, which includes those who have found meaning behind the simple lyrics of the children's song, proves the most pleasant to spend time with but the most difficult to fully join. They find happiness in the little things in life and understand that the meaning of life rests in the rare, beautiful moments when they can just enjoy the wonder of life. They laugh, love, and dance without a care because they know their true selves and proudly display their personality to the world. They stand strong in their beliefs, exclaiming their view of life to the world while welcoming others and loving whole-heartedly. They have found peace. Unfortunately, few people can honestly claim to constantly hold this view of the world. Being human, people will second guess themselves occasionally. The people in this group might lose their trust in the certainty of the meaning of the Hokey Pokey. When the going gets tough, members of this group may lose confidence and drift into another category for a time.
The second type of people, consisting of those who remain untouched by the meaning of the Hokey Pokey, stands lost in the dark. They struggle to find true happiness, getting caught up in false joys from work to money to dishonest relationships. They stand stiffly on the sidelines of life, watching the dance enviously and making fun of the childlike Hokey Pokey-ers. Though they may recognize the real joy of those who have found meaning in life and may long to join them, their worry over what others may think of them holds them back. They follow strict paths that others have set for them and fear their true selves. The idea of real connections with other people scares them, leaving them alone, shy, and self-conscious. These people continue a fruitless search for peace. Each member of the group may hold a different reason for their disbelief in the wonder of the Hokey Pokey. They may forever remain lost or may be dragged kicking and screaming into the circle of the Hokey Pokey, only to find themselves enjoying their new outlook on life.
The final group of people gets lost between the two other groups. They may find happiness occasionally through passing moments of peace, but they fail to understand the meaning behind these moments. They hear the Hokey Pokey, know the dance, and may even join in the fun, but the meaning of the song and of their joy becomes lost in the confusion of their hectic lives. These people do not know why the Hokey Pokey-ers show such enthusiasm for life or why the bystanders sit quietly, glaring. They drift to either of the sides, occasionally losing themselves in false hopes of success in work, school, or relationships and occasionally enjoying carefree moments of living. They may become inspired by the rhythm of the Hokey Pokey or may be sucked down into the dark abyss of angry non-participators, so their fate remains uncertain.
The Hokey Pokey plays in all of our lives. Some of us refuse to hear the music, some of us cannot find the beat, and some of us may continuously dance the beloved dance. We may struggle in our search for meaning in this life, sometimes gaining a profound view and sometimes second-guessing our every thought. The groups may seem very different, but in truth they share many similarities: They search for happiness. They sometimes fail. They sometimes find truth. They sometimes lose their way. Whatever the case, each person of each group hears the same silly song, and everyone has the chance to turn themselves around. As I hear the music, I think to myself, "The Hokey Pokey may seem like just a song and dance, but then again, maybe life is too."