The moment began in a large, darkened room.  The only light in the room was coming from the screen in front of us, and a few of the exit signs glowing from the walls that surrounded us.  With the credits scrolling down the screen, the picture was coming to an end.  But the music continued to play, as it always does at the end of a movie.  The smell of popcorn filled the air.  There is no other place that I know of that smells quite like a movie theater.  I contribute that mainly to the aroma of fresh popped corn kernels, melted butter and maybe just a little bit of candy too.  The jumbo popcorn we bought to share still sat half-full, right next to my chair.  We always buy a jumbo popcorn, but never eat it all.  What is not eaten usually goes home with us so that whoever did not go to the movies can have a little of it too.  Cold movie theater popcorn is not as good as warm, fresh movie theater popcorn, but it’s still pretty good any way. 
Not everyone from my family went to the movie that night.  Probably because we went to see the movie “Prom”, which was definitely not something either my brother or father wanted to see.   My two oldest sisters were not living at home at the time, so just two of my sisters, my mom and I went to the movie that night.  The music was loud and it was upbeat.  I was feeling happy and a little crazy.  Maybe the DOTS or Starburst candy I had eaten gave me just a little extra sugar boost.  My toes began to tap to the beat of the closing song.  Then my body began to follow.  At first, I was just kind of swaying back and forth to the music.  But as the lighting lifted in the theater, I could see that the room was now almost empty.  Most of the other people had already shuffled up the side aisles and out the exit doors in the back.   The flashing, bright colors being projected off of the screen only lit up the room even more now.  I began to dance to the music.  I was happy.  Really happy.  Life is both predictable and spontaneous.
This was a moment in time that I will always remember, but never planned.  It was spontaneous.   My family began dancing, just a little with me, but I definitely took the lead.  We were all having fun.  The theater, of course, was now completely empty.  My body was in full dance out mode now.  But just as I turned around from facing the screen to the back of the room, I noticed a shadowy figure peering out from the projector room.  To my surprise, I only felt that panicky kind of humiliation for a moment.  The voice from behind the projector said that I was fine and to keep on dancing.  So I did.  I danced until the song was over. 
Maybe it was the beat of the song that caught my mood and really lifted it.  Or maybe it was the words of that closing song that persuaded me to move:

“We are young, we run free
Stay up late, we don’t sleep
Got our friends, got the night
We’ll be alright”
Travie McCoy

Either way, I just know I will always remember the joy I felt.  My movie theater “madness” taught me that sometimes you have to just let go and not care what other people think of you.  No matter what, “we’ll be alright”…..I’ll be alright.