Dance Dreams

The class went well. At least Nelson said it did and I’m still getting positive feedback. I ran out of time and didn’t get to finish the lesson. We ran over and the choir was late for warm up, which I heard about from the director (oops…giggle). They seemed to enjoy picking out their Potato Heads. Oddly enough, there were some leftover. And sadly, the Potato Head t-shirt I ordered to where while I taught arrived today in the mail (that’s me: day late and a dollar short). I’m going to take it with me on the bus trip later this week.

Did I mention I’m going on a bus trip? Things have been so hectic, I guess I forgot. Our class takes a bus trip each fall. Last year we went to Gettysburg and Hershey PA. This year we’re running through Nashville and some Native American sites of interest (I’ll put the exact places in later when I can pull up my itinerary) and then on down to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. I’m excited. Nelson doesn’t have any time off so I’ll be rooming with an older woman from the class. She’s a dear and I really enjoy her zeal for life. The challenge will be slowing down and talking loud. She’s extremely hard of hearing. It should prove interesting and fun! “)

This past weekend I was sucked in to an all weekend marathon. I watched at least some of every episode of “So You Think You Can Dance.” I loved it. My family just shook their heads at me—I’m used to that! (big giggles) Last night the final results were on the show from 11PM to midnight. I had been watching in bed but I started to fall asleep. The last thing I wanted to do was fall asleep and not see who won after watching all those episodes. So I went down to watch in the living room. I ate a snack even though I wasn’t hungry, hoping it would keep me awake. Wouldn’t you know it: I fell asleep!!! I was so disoriented I almost went to bed. But then the show came back on and I was able to watch them announce that person I wanted to win actually won!

I was thinking about the whole dance thing. I wanted to dance so badly when I was little. I would spin in my black patent leather Mary Janes dreaming I was a great prima ballerina. I remember wishing I could fly. This weekend as I watched the dancers, that’s what it sometimes seemed like they were doing, flying. Their leaps took them from the ground and it was as if they were suspended in air forever. It’s funny. As I’m sitting here at my desk, I can almost feel that soaring desire within.

I was amazed as I watched some of the expressions and movements. I don’t know how you are, but I know that for me I have always been too inhibited to find the freedom to move like that. They could make their bodies move in ways that I absolutely know my body is not wired and therefore never capable of achieving—certainly not now but probably not even then. They controlled their bodies. I have never felt.

And then there’s the whole passion thing. Have I ever wanted anything that badly? I feel like such a little kid writing that. But if I were a kid at least I would have my life ahead of me to pursue something. I’m fifty. So much time wasted. Okay, not wasted, but not focused.

I teach a unit in transitional class that invites the participants to dream about what they really want and then begin to think of how to bring those plans to fruition. It’s much easier to teach a principle than to apply it and live it sometimes.

Perhaps that’s what I’ll plan to do on this bus trip…dream a little…maybe even a lot.