puppet love

“Little Amal is 3.5 meters tall because we want the world to grow big enough to greet her. We want her to inspire us to think big and to act bigger.”

– Amir Nizar Zuabi, Artistic Director of The Walk

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There’s an enormous puppet, a refugee girl, who’s been traveling the world in search of home. Here’s a two-minute montage of her epic journey thus far.

A friend and I ventured to Coney Island on a quiet Monday morning to catch a glimpse of Little Amal ourselves. When she stepped onto the boardwalk, a hush fell over all of us who’d gathered there. We were immediately transfixed by her presence. As she set out for the pier, we silently walked behind and alongside her.

For nearly an hour, we humans followed a large walking puppet down the pier and along the boardwalk, mesmerized by her every move. Musicians serenaded her. The local police and fishermen looked on with smiles of curiosity. A group of schoolchildren greeted her with crayoned signs of welcome.

It doesn’t come along too often: Strangers in a public place sharing an experience of reverence. Her unique presence lifted us out of the ordinary and shifted us into our heart space. When she departed, kids shouted, “We love you, Amal!” Some grownups did, too.

Little Amal, animated by three very visible puppeteers, seems to have her own life force. She is other worldly, like an angel almost. Here to remind us of our humanity and interconnectedness.

Amal means hope.

When did you last experience reverence in public?

Little Amal stops in her tracks to soak in the peace of the sea.

p.s. If you’re curious, here’s the video footage of her Coney Island walk. She appears around minute 49.