This afternoon I wandered around downtown Vancouver. Turning onto Denman Street, a lovely stretch of restaurants and cool shops, I came upon a street party. “West End Car Free Day.” Huge trucks blocked the entrance, and past that Vancouverites and I walked down the centre of things. Flowing banners, kiosks selling clothes and jewellery, and info about bike routes embraced the crowd. Families everywhere, lovers in each other’s arms, kids in strollers, folks chewing on corn on the cob, one guy carrying a cactus … Denman had it all.

And then the music. The Phonics blasted us with the most danceable stuff. First my muscles twitched and then the arms got going. After that it was a full-out flurry of body parts. When the band did “Jump!” I raised my game. Right beside me a mom and her 5-year-old daughter were moving and grooving. The older one flashed me a big smile. The road was vibrating and so were my innards.

***

At the end of Denman sits English Bay Beach, with the freighters lying serenely in the harbour. Thirty-two years ago, Jody and I were sitting against one of the huge logs when suddenly the man unit got to his feet and then down on one knee.

“Will you marry me?”

My dear pre-wife said yes. Today I sat in that approximate spot and told two young bikini-clad women our story. I believe they were moved. I was.

Such a big thing, this life.