On December 30th, New York farmer Jay Lavery uploaded a video of him dancing in a barn to Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” to his Facebook profile. Little did he know that his video would go viral, reaching over 12 million views.
Lavery often shares fun stunts with his friends on Facebook, but this was the first time one of his videos had gained such widespread attention. The video was entertaining, but it was also meaningful.
He said in the video description, "It's that time of the year for the Lets Move Challenge. Dancing is how I stay warm in the barn and I never know when I'm going to break out into a dance. But what most people don't know is that 15 years ago I had a traumatic back injury that caused me to have several back surgeries including a discectomy and a spinal fusion and never ending back pain. Dancing along with yoga and meditation are my only alternatives to pain medication. So I hope this can inspire anyone to move in spite of pain and I hope this puts a smile on your face for the New Year."
Lavery wanted to inspire others to move and dance despite pain, and to bring a smile to their faces for the New Year. He also hopes that people will learn about the mission of his farm, which is to help bring about a more sustainable American food system. The bottom line is that life is about the journey, not the destination, and it’s important to enjoy it despite any struggles.