Great things
Why am I up so late? Missed my window I guess.
Had a great night contra dancing. Finally went to the party afterwards. I'd been doing the sour grapes thing with myself: "I can't go to the party cause' it will keep the baby up too late- it's probably just a lot of drinking and talking about rich liberal causes anyway," that kind of thing. So tonight I said, I'm not gonna do that, I'm gonna go and see if I like it. Besides, I need to learn peoples names and two weeks between dances doesn't help the old noggin when all you've ever said is "Would you like to dance?" "Love to!" and "Thanks a lot!" to someone. The party was nice. A little food, alcohol for people who drank but everyone was very much in the 1-3 drinks category, and rich liberal folk were there. So was guitar playing and crooning. Good guitar playing with picking not just strumming. Favorites like "Freight Train" and "Don't think twice it's alright." Mr. Murphy would have enjoyed it. Anyway, I had a good time and Abinadi survived the late night I inflicted upon him.
And they're having 5th Friday Contra! Can't wait, it'll be two Fridays in a row!
Poignant and soul-stretching moment occurred at contra tonight.
One thing I love about contra is how inclusive it is. People bring kids and if they are old enough to grasp the steps and really want to dance they are helped through the dance as a routine matter of course. And there all these different people- couples, singles, old and middle-aged and youth, all dancing together. So, tonight.
A girl in a wheelchair danced solo/with a young boy who was also obviously disabled in some way. She had motor control of her feet so could tip-toe the chair around, and wore white kidgloves to protect her hands from the wheels as she turned and wheeled, though mostly she used her feet. He danced bobbing up and down a few yards away, only darting close enough to show the partnership a few times in the course of the dance. Everyone else was waltzing and while they presented an obstacle at times, zooming in and out of the dancers, no one was hurt and it warmed the heart.
The soul-stretching moment occurred however when watching her CONTRA. Kind of like spiritual judo. One of the long standing members (and party hoster) took her out as his partner and they went up the entire set. Each new neighbor would help her complete the figure in their own way. I started out thinking: "This is not going to work." A couple figures later, it worked. Then I started thinking, "It's not fair to the other dancers. Would you let your 2 year old dance if they wanted to? Everyone has to slow down and make way and it takes away from the fun!" Her partner made his decision from his heart, and each couple only has to spend one cycle of the dance, one pattern, dancing with her, before the set shifts. I twisted as I felt the stretch. "Well one figure isn't much is it? But certainly everyone (ie more disabled people) couldn't do it." But everyone isn't doing it. And look how blessed everyone in this dance is for giving to her. Some are feeling a lot of what you're feeling, but some of them- look at their faces. I almost started to cry as I watched the rest of the dance unfold. Pinned to the mat. Wonderful night at contra folks.
I then went by and had a great conversation with my roommate-to-be. He is a soul stretching person for me.
This is going to be a great year for me. I feel it in my bones, in my muscles, in my sinews and in my heart.
Had a great night contra dancing. Finally went to the party afterwards. I'd been doing the sour grapes thing with myself: "I can't go to the party cause' it will keep the baby up too late- it's probably just a lot of drinking and talking about rich liberal causes anyway," that kind of thing. So tonight I said, I'm not gonna do that, I'm gonna go and see if I like it. Besides, I need to learn peoples names and two weeks between dances doesn't help the old noggin when all you've ever said is "Would you like to dance?" "Love to!" and "Thanks a lot!" to someone. The party was nice. A little food, alcohol for people who drank but everyone was very much in the 1-3 drinks category, and rich liberal folk were there. So was guitar playing and crooning. Good guitar playing with picking not just strumming. Favorites like "Freight Train" and "Don't think twice it's alright." Mr. Murphy would have enjoyed it. Anyway, I had a good time and Abinadi survived the late night I inflicted upon him.
And they're having 5th Friday Contra! Can't wait, it'll be two Fridays in a row!
Poignant and soul-stretching moment occurred at contra tonight.
One thing I love about contra is how inclusive it is. People bring kids and if they are old enough to grasp the steps and really want to dance they are helped through the dance as a routine matter of course. And there all these different people- couples, singles, old and middle-aged and youth, all dancing together. So, tonight.
A girl in a wheelchair danced solo/with a young boy who was also obviously disabled in some way. She had motor control of her feet so could tip-toe the chair around, and wore white kidgloves to protect her hands from the wheels as she turned and wheeled, though mostly she used her feet. He danced bobbing up and down a few yards away, only darting close enough to show the partnership a few times in the course of the dance. Everyone else was waltzing and while they presented an obstacle at times, zooming in and out of the dancers, no one was hurt and it warmed the heart.
The soul-stretching moment occurred however when watching her CONTRA. Kind of like spiritual judo. One of the long standing members (and party hoster) took her out as his partner and they went up the entire set. Each new neighbor would help her complete the figure in their own way. I started out thinking: "This is not going to work." A couple figures later, it worked. Then I started thinking, "It's not fair to the other dancers. Would you let your 2 year old dance if they wanted to? Everyone has to slow down and make way and it takes away from the fun!" Her partner made his decision from his heart, and each couple only has to spend one cycle of the dance, one pattern, dancing with her, before the set shifts. I twisted as I felt the stretch. "Well one figure isn't much is it? But certainly everyone (ie more disabled people) couldn't do it." But everyone isn't doing it. And look how blessed everyone in this dance is for giving to her. Some are feeling a lot of what you're feeling, but some of them- look at their faces. I almost started to cry as I watched the rest of the dance unfold. Pinned to the mat. Wonderful night at contra folks.
I then went by and had a great conversation with my roommate-to-be. He is a soul stretching person for me.
This is going to be a great year for me. I feel it in my bones, in my muscles, in my sinews and in my heart.