Yes, this Good Clean Fun blog author is dancing with you. It might not look like it. People visiting the GCF bubble ask if I want to move about with them and their friends. This lot are here for the early doors warmup DJ and are unaware that I have been coming to this night for years and more often than not, I enjoy the night seemingly alone. Take note, I welcome the banter and an invite to sway, fist pump, reach up high, twirl below, spin or slowly circle each other, bop our heads, extend legs, link arms, jump, meet gazes and travel across a gap in the crowd. People sit and snack, drink wholesome bevvies and eat a croissant under the Lunar New Year lion heads that line the walls.
Sometimes you will find this dapper disco diva in the corner, throwing my limbs around, but mostly positioned front and centre between the speakers on the Rave Rug. I find that the music sounds best there, albeit after inserting my clubbing earplugs. Maybe speaks to how much of a modern-day lightweight party animal I am, but easier to withstand the dizzying heights of house music and other genre delights with this reasonable adjustment. Helps to listen (without background interference) to the chat of organisers, regulars and first-timers too. There is occasional whooping, clapping, laughing, and cheering between dancers, DJs and everyone else in the mix.
Big love to the house plants, rugs and lamps – you can see evidence of this amorous regard in photos.
One of the recent schedule additions, is the hour of meditation or some kind of chillout activity like Tai Chi or Yoga, before the heavier but also propellant tunes are dropped. As a likely neurodivergent person, I hugely appreciate this opportunity to attune to the space, as transitions can be rough going for me.
Beautiful community at GCF, it has spread out roots and taken shape(s), remaining yet changing over time. It is a special feeling to see old and new faces and have a catch-up or initial overshare with someone.
Now for the sober part, in that, I mean this is the part about being sober and it being a sober event. I wanted to be a monastic when I was in my teens, partly because I was not interested in alcohol, drugs, or smoking. Occasionally, I would attempt drinking, but ultimately it does not appeal to me, I am very sensitive to the effects and side effects of depressants and stimulants. I find people’s efforts to get through adversity to be fascinating. In the end, the monasteries were also not for me, I wanted to be a parent, so I left. I miss living in a commune setting with ample space for growing fruit and veggies. My young and chosen families, as well as allotments, windowsills, and or a little garden space can work well to supplement these longings.
In terms of recovery, I think this happens sporadically throughout our lives, whether we have specific addiction problems or not. My recovery is from grief and recurring life stressors. I find music and dancing to be therapeutic, particularly in environments where there are no intoxicants. For a few years now, I have been learning a formal type of dance once a week. My times at GCF are my chances to freestyle moves, which I find is where a lot of the healing happens. In addition, I do not have to experience a hangover the following day or risk the slippery slope into addiction. I have the utmost respect and admiration for those working to overcome their own or others’ addictions or build upon their recoveries from it.
All the disc jockeys are superstars, in my ears … and eyes to be fair, nice outfits! There are names you have likely heard before, residents of local clubs, festival frequenters, and the radio crews. They each bring something different to the room and I enjoy the range and camaraderie between them. People helping out and asking if you can help out are so jolly, I carried a pot plant downstairs at the end of the night, felt good.