Dancing With A Star

I've heard people say that the best years of their lives were in high school.  I cringe at my own memories during most of that time.

Maybe it was fun for THEM because they were the jocks and cheerleaders; the popular kids; the ones who wore designer clothes and drove convertible sports cars.  I was never one of them.  My mother drove me to school in an outdated monstrous Buick.  It actually had wings and I wanted to fly away into oblivion.  I remember hiding in the back seat on the floor so one one would see me in it.  Oh, how I would appreciate and love driving around in it now.

If you remember the movie Never Been Kissed, you may be able to relate to this kind of peer pressure.  I made myself as invisible as possible to ensure I'd be spared any possible ridicule.  So, I chose not to date anyone from my own high school.  There were a few boys I had crushes on, but I would never dream of letting anyone know about it. I was happy with my own group of friends, many of which I still have today.  It's just that I felt more comfortable in being their "buddy" than on their list as their "latest flame".

One night, I spotted a boy at one of the school dances held at the gym.  He was tall with Elvis hair and blue eyes.  He had all the right moves. I had never seen anyone dance with such natural rhythm.  Oh, how I wanted to dance like that. So, I just admired him from afar.  Then I saw him walking toward me.  I thought he was looking for the punch bowl, so I looked behind me and saw nothing but my own shadow.  Would you believe he asked ME to dance? I merely shrugged my shoulders in defeat,
     "Sorry, but I don't know how to fast dance."
     "I'll teach you right now."  He offered.
     "I can't dance with you in front of all these people. Everyone will laugh at me."
     "Who cares? We're not hurting anybody. Do you like music?"
     "Oh, I love music."  I practically swooned.
     "Well, just follow me.  Feel the beat.  Don't think about anything else.  Don't care about anyone watching."

For some unexplainable reason, I believed him.  He took me to a far corner of the gym and he danced with me for the rest of the night.  There wasn't a song too fast or too slow for us. I was floating on a cloud dancing with a star.  As I spread my wings, I discovered I could fly by just moving to the rhythm of my own heart.  It was a delirious experience.  Did anyone else care or notice us?  Did anyone laugh at me struggling to keep up with him? For the first time in my life, it didn't matter and I realized that I had wasted precious time because I was too afraid to be my own person.

It taught me an invaluable lesson.  I don't give anyone the power to take away my spirit.