A couple of years ago I was in Covent Garden, on a warm Sunday afternoon.
A crowd of tourists casually circled a mime artist. He was one of the 'silver suited' ones. Human cuiosity I spose made us wait and watch.........
A Downs syndrome boy of about 16yrs of age slowly made his way to the front of the crowd and stood face to face to the mime artist. The artist's face was covered in a tight fitting silver mask, but his eyes were still visible.
The boy stared into his eyes and the mime artist stared back. This went on for a couple of mimutes and the rest of us in the crowd were somehow drawn to this stand off spectacle.
From nearby classical music could be heard....they regularly have the most wonderful 'buskers' there.
Suddenly the mime artist began to dance, contorting his body into fluid shapes that matched the music. The Downs syndrome boy copied his every move.
We all stood very silently as the dance progressed. I felt honoured to be able to witness this impromptu communication. And when the music faded away the boy returned to his mother. There was hardly a dry eye in that small crowd.
So no mime artists aren't shite. They do often only move and do their thing when given some cash....don't we all?
But the boy on that day, showed all of us how we can enjoy ourselves when we lose our inhibitions and open our minds.