What: An unlikely way to unite a neighborhood in goodhearted buffoonery.
Who: Yorkshire resident Liz Koto.
Why we care: Whether it’s the ongoing dread, the uncertainty, or sheer boredom, this quarantine is driving people to the brink of bonkers. It’s also apparently making people more creative.
Increasingly, people are looking beyond their televisions and laptops for entertainment. Some are making miniature outdoor cafes for squirrels, others are putting together obstacle courses for their hedgehogs, and others still are re-creating the Simpsons opening credits with dusty Halloween costumes. Anything to find fresh ways to brighten one’s day. Now one woman in Michigan has hit upon a clever way to amuse not only herself, but an entire neighborhood (and the rest of us, by extension).
Yorkshire resident Liz Koto recently put up signs on opposite sides of the stretch of sidewalk outside her home, declaring the space within “The jurisdiction of the Ministry of Silly Walks.”
Anyone familiar with the celebrated work of Monty Python knows exactly what this sign means, but also anyone who doesn’t get the reference can figure it out easily enough. People young and old have been jaunting by Koto’s home since she put up the signs, and she’s been capturing some of the more outlandish examples of freestyle walking on her dedicated Instagram.
It’s nice to see Hollywood pull together to put out a star-filled tribute to Stephen Sondheim or an emergency episode of Parks and Rec to entertain people in the most trying times. But it’s even more satisfying and heartening to see everyday people get creative to bring a little joy to otherwise dark days.
As the sign above says, “We’re all in this together so let’s have some fun while we can!” Have a look below at some of our favorite Silly Walks so far.