Dance Party

There is something very important that needs to said right up front:  I don't dance.  I love to watch people dance.  I like to tap my foot to music.  But I definitely do NOT have what it takes to get up and just let loose in front of people.  Ya.  That's never going to happen.

Chuck and I love to dance though.  Privately.  We have the 'Stand and Sway' down pat.  Sometimes we even spice it up by adding the 'Waltz Step' variation so we can sway and move around in a circle at the same time.  That's about the depth of our dancing prowess.  We won't count the time we were Minuet partners in high school.  Who does the Minuet when you're 15 and living in the 1980's?!  It was a 'forced dancing' situation.  We'll leave it at that.

We tried to move outside our fear of dancing comfort zone.  Truly, we did.  We attempted to go out dancing with friends not once, but twice.  Both times were so stressful.  We couldn't stop counting.  We tried learning how to country western dance.  Instead of it being a fun, calming, romantic evening it felt more like we were trying to cram for a final exam.  We would just look at each other and count (out loud) with our eyebrows all wrinkled in a fearful expression knowing that we would be the only ones either 1), off beat or 2), out of step or 3), going the wrong direction if we didn't get the counting right.  Add to that the LOUD music, ALL the people and the DARK atmosphere.  We all know my 'condition', right?  The one where I get all confused whenever I enter a store (or any area for that matter) with loud music playing.  Seriously, I can't focus.  The loud music triggers something in my brain and all my neurons decide to go on strike simultaneously.  Apparently I have 'sensory issues'.  And then having to be in a large, dark room with a bunch of people I don't know....scary.  I like lots of sunlight.  Clubs aren't known for being the most 'sunny' places.  I have an aversion to crowds.  So the combination of these three plus the lack of dancing confidence equals one exciting night.

All that to say I love to dance with Chuck, privately.  Or do goofy, crazy, who-cares-who's-looking dancing with the kids.  At home.  With lots of light.  And our favorite music...up kinda loudish, but not so loud that I get confused.

So out of the blue the other day Chuck brings me down to the family room and has a song already playing and wraps me in his arms to dance.  I love it.  It's the epitome of calmness, serenity, security and love for me.  Favorite music, lots of sun, home, dancing with the one I love.  Could life get any better? And then the kids come barging downstairs like a herd of elephants.  Never to be left out, they start 'dancing' with us.  If you think Chuck and I don't know how to dance, you should see our kids.  I don't think they even got the 'stand and sway' genes.  Think more like the 'Pentecostal Two Step' or 'Circus Show'.  They 'dance' with pure, uninhibited bliss and abandonment.  And they insist on doing this right next to us.  Why would we want to dance alone when we could dance together?

At first I close my eyes and pretend they are not crashing my special dance time.  If I can't see them, they aren't there.  Then Bennett starts slowly trying to infiltrate our dancing space...meaning he's attempting to wedge himself between Chuck and me, ever so slowly so we don't notice that all of the sudden there are three of us 'dancing'.  Then we open up the circle even more and all hold hands and start 'standing and swaying' together.  But the kids think that dance step is too boring so they invent a few of their own.  All to the lovely song that is miraculously still playing.  By this point we are all laughing so hard at the depths to which our dance has fallen.  It was one of those where you have to catch your breath and hold your sides you're laughing so hard and long.

And then the thought hits:  Embrace It!  When, if ever, will my 14, 11 and 9 year old all want to silly dance with Chuck and I ever again?  One day they'll be 'too mature' for that kind of abandonment (secretly I'm hoping that day will never happen).  It was another one of those snap shots in time that will always stay with me.  All of us just loving being together....even doing something we're all horrible at.  Dance party at the Mallott's!

Share

Tweet