Well, as a matter of fact I did. And, no, for those of you wondering, I did not go with my roomies! For the first time since moving to Boston, I stepped out of my small local comfort zone of JP and Back Bay and went across the river to Cambridge to swing dance. Now, I have been wanting to try some different forms of dance for a while now, but I was still a little skeptical when a friend at work mentioned swing. This skepticism stemmed from a variety of reasons. One, I didn't think people actually went swing dancing. I imagined it would be a group of 15 people tops who all get together and attempt to do what, in my mind, I see as swing dancing. Two, if it really is the swing you see in movies and that I have in my head, don't you need to, I don't know, um, have one iota of a clue as to what you're doing!?! I couldn't imagine someone just stepping out on the dance floor and swinging.
Let me back up here for just one second, though, before I continue my swinging story. I am sitting here in my room, cross-legged on my bed, eyes half closed and glazed over because I am exhausted past the point of recognition. Last night I staged what I will refer to as a "mini intervention." For anyone who's wondering what that is, let me explain. A friend (an ex if you want the truth) is struggling right now with a severe addiction problem. It was bad while we were dating, and has escalated beyond anything I could ever have imagined. It's so sad watching someone you care so deeply for continue to harm themselves intentionally. It's one of the worst kinds of pain anyone could ever experience, I think. But, that's a whole other blog in itself. He had locked himself in and was, I think, just going to drink until he ended it all. So, in one very last ditch effort to help him help himself, I "intervened" with the help of another friend, and asked him to check himself into the hospital. He said yes, to our relief. Because it was so late, and I had to drive to little Rhodie, I decided to stay there and drive back home in the morning. Dumb idea. Has anyone ever experienced Boston rush hour...are you kidding me!?! Once I got into the city (around 7:15, so I had PLENTY of time to park my car, finish my make-up and get to work), I managed to get myself lost for AN HOUR downtown! That was not fun. I woke up at 4:3o to make sure I'd make it back in time, so by the time I got to work, I was ready to go back to sleep...and stay there for at least a 12-hour period.
Ok...back to swinging. Clearly, I'm exhausted and think there's no way I will make it. Boy was I wrong! I took the beginners' "class" when I first got there, which taught me the basic steps. About an hour later, people started arriving, the music started playing, and people just hit the floor. It was incredible. It was like a scene straight out of a movie. People kept asking me to dance, and every time I would give them what I like to call the "watch your feet, face, and any other extremity you have a particular affection towards" warning. "I am new at this...this is the very first time I have ever stepped foot on a dance floor to swing dance." I mean, it's not exactly the style of dance you bust out when the DJ puts "Apple Bottom Jeans" on! And we all know I can crunk it up to that one. Okay, I know, I need to stop the street talk. Or the attempt at street talk, anyways. But, seriously, these people just get down to it. It was incredible. People did not let me sit still for 3 hours - it was a constant flow of awesome, incredible dance partners. Most of them had a lot of experience, and would literally just throw me around the dance floor. I met so many wicked cool people. I did not stop smiling the entire time I was there. I can see why so many people show up each week - it's like an addiction.
So, as I sit here exhausted reflecting on my hectic and wonderful first week in Boston, I find I have already learned something very valuable. Try something new - even if it scares you a little. No - especially if it scares you. In the process you might meet new people or find a new hobby. Or, if nothing else, you might have a sequence of time where you do nothing but smile. And, sometimes in life, that's all you can ask/hope for. Now with that, I'm putting my over-tired, over-extended body to sleep.
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