| At the age of 70 I retired. Happy days were | | | | and I was in heaven. The only problem, since |
| ahead. I could do what I want, when I want | | | | I was sure I knew how to dance, was thinking |
| and if I want to do nothing thats okay too. | | | | this was going to be soooooo easy! It turned |
| I watched daytime TV, did the crossword | | | | out that I was the only newbie in the class |
| puzzles, read the newspapers, and kept in | | | | and I also realized theres no partner to lead |
| touch with friends and family through email. | | | | me around the floor. At first I thought I |
| I played some games on the computer and | | | | must have turned stupid in my old age, but |
| checked out the internet. Of course, I ate a | | | | then realized that line dancing is mostly |
| lot because the food was there. When I did | | | | memory and my memory was not too sharp |
| wander out, it was the mall or the | | | | anymore. I was going to stick with it! The |
| supermarket where I could buy lots of goodies | | | | dances are a number of sets that are repeated |
| to keep me happy. When youre retired, | | | | during the dance and you have to be aware of |
| wandering aimlessly through the stores, | | | | the sequence, what steps come next. |
| spending money foolishly is not what you want | | | | Fortunately, I did not take myself too |
| to do. So what do you do? I didnt want to | | | | seriously. Someone once said dance as if no |
| be one of those old people sitting around | | | | one is looking so thats exactly what I did. I |
| waiting to die. I could see myself falling | | | | laughed a lot, persevered and promised myself |
| into a depression. Would you say I needed a | | | | I would not give up. I finally did it! It all |
| new challenge in life! | | | | fell into place. |
| | | | |
| The day of awakening came with a phone call | | | | The moral of the story.. dance class is much |
| from a friend. The Parks Department has a | | | | less expensive than doctors and |
| Community Center nearby; they have all kinds | | | | psychiatrists; it gives you a natural high! I |
| of classes; lets go check it out. Now, I | | | | lost weight; I lost inches; I started to eat |
| thought, what could I possibly do there? What | | | | healthier when I saw the weight loss and my |
| I did find there was a low impact aerobics | | | | memory has improved tremendously. Im |
| class that would help me take off the weight | | | | exercising my brain by learning something new |
| I had managed to put on. I joined the class, | | | | with each dance. I learned so well, that at |
| had a good time and met some really nice | | | | the age of 75, the Parks & Recreation |
| people. They were all discussing the line | | | | Department offered me a job teaching line |
| dance class they had joined and what fun it | | | | dancing. My students always compliment me on |
| was. When I was about 10 years old, my | | | | my youthful looks and demeanor; something I |
| brother who was five years older than I, used | | | | dont mind hearing. |
| to practice his jitterbug on me and I grew up | | | | |
| dancing during the wonderful era of the big | | | | I just read that Socrates learned to dance |
| bands. I didnt get to dance much later in | | | | when he was seventy because he felt that an |
| life and forgot how much I enjoyed it, | | | | essential part of himself had been neglected. |
| | | | Isnt it funny that with all the aches and |
| With a bit of trepidation I joined the line | | | | pains that come with age, I dont feel a bit |
| dance class. It wasnt just country music | | | | of pain when I dance? It must be that |
| anymore. They taught Mambo, Cha-Cha, Waltz, | | | | natural high. |