The Soul of the Dancing Woman

The Dancing Woman

Sponsored by Alvord Taylor, Endless Possibilities & CrisDental Family Dentistry

They call it a funk, a downward mood, and a lot of other things.

But whatever you choose to call it, I was in it, and trying to find my way out.

Disappointments are part of life.

Frustration is something that comes with the territory of being human.

To grow old is to question value and relevance.

You don’t want to question such things but you do as new things throttle the old.

When I do live shows on TikTok at least a few people will ask if I’m A.I, artificial intelligence.

I usually laugh at the thought but today it sounds rather attractive.

I could be a clone of myself, stay home and let Mr. A.I. be me.

But the technology is there yet so it’s just a dream.

Anyway, I’m at the gym, getting my workout done, when I decide to go to the HIIT class. (high intensity interval training)

A young woman who is becoming a friend to me and Kathy doesn’t always show up to class.

But today, magically she’s there.

Michaela lights up when you talk to her.

Her smile is contagious.

She seems to be bigger than cultural norms and not afraid to just be.

When I go up to talk with her she always lights up the room like a spark plug.

Amy our teacher puts on some hiphop music and Michaela starts dancing.

Yep, 40 people in the room and she’s the only one dancing.

She’s not afraid of what others will think, she hears music and knows it’s time to dance, so she dances.

She has the biggest smile on her face so I start dancing too.....what the Hell.

The look in her eye’s is one of approval and surprise and she starts dancing all the more.

She really does have good moves, she’s a dancer.

Every so often in the class, she and then me, would start the hip moves until we laughed.

By the time the class is over my mood is lighter, a little better and I’m smiling a little more.

“A Funk” doesn’t just go away.

But people like Michaela have a super power that can change even the most foul mood.

I ran up to Michaela after class and asked her if I could take a picture of her and write this blog about her.

She giggled and said “of course.”

She was so excited to be noticed, I think.

I guess we are all like aren't we?

Noticing each other is also part of being human and to be invisible can be painful.

I also asked if I could mention that she experiences Down Syndrome and she nodded her head yes.

Here’s the nugget.

Sometimes we get lost in who we are, who we think we are, what we think we are supposed to be.

We lose that magic that looks beyond the troubles of the times and into the souls of those around us.

Today, God blessed me with a picture of how he wants me to be.

Not the guy who worries about unchangeable things or his relevance but a guy who can follow the lead of the dancing woman.