I am not a good dancer. I am a good baker, a good mom, a good wife, friend, boss, leader, daughter, cyclist…I can hold my own in most social settings and know how to have an intelligent conversation with people from most walks of life…so far. But dance I cannot. I have a few early experiences with major embarrassment when I tried to cut loose and boogie that left me reluctant to put myself in a situation again where I may be asked to do the salsa or the cha cha or waltz or whatever. For some reason unknown to me, however, my youngest son has immersed himself in the world of dance, and as I accompany him to the showcases and competitions, I am finding myself in settings where everyone can dance but me. The pressure is there as they try to get me to give it a go, so kind and encouraging in their invitations, yet I find myself like a shy awkward teenager at the high school dance doing my best to make myself invisible.
As I see the absolute joy and big smiles on the people that are out there dancing, I begin thinking why not? I accept an invitation, and lucky for me the skill of my partner helped carry me around the dance floor with no stumble, although I was sure if he let go I would drown! I begin remembering that the comfort zone is a comfy place, and learning something new can be like picking up a really good book. There are a lot of things I thought I would never do, could never do- run a successful business, run a marathon, cycling, mountain biking, lead, paint, write, speak…So am I going to learn to dance? I’m thinking about it. I have not committed, but instead have opened my mind to the idea that I am not a good dancer…YET.