May I have this dance?

As you know if you've read my profile and some of my past posts, one of my hobbies is ballroom dancing. I've come to enjoy it very much since that day more than 20 years ago when my wife, who is a dance teacher, signed me up for lessons in frustration at my ineptitude. Agnes doesn't try to teach me, of course, since we tend to argue and fight when she does, so I take my lessons from the director of the studio where she teaches...I serve as his patience trainer, as I am supremely uncoordinated and can take quite a while to learn even the most simple patterns.

But...

Through sheer grit and endless practice, I've come to be a reasonably good dancer, even to the point of doing well in competitions. My only regret is that I didn't have these skills when I was in college, because there's a real thrill that comes from having attractive women come up and ask ME - professional geek that I am - to dance with them.

Plus, as one of my acquaintences from the dance school says in his blog (rhumbadervish.blogspot.com), it's a nice activity for a husband and wife to do together. We tend to run in separate directions all week long between jobs, errands, and the million other things that need to be done, and it's nice to have that few minutes of music to hold on to each other and remember how good life can be when we let it.

So if you haven't tried ballroom dancing as a pastime, go out to a studio near you and sign up for their introductory special (all studios have one). You'll find that it's a great form of exercise, wonderful for your social life, and - if you can get past the occasional frustrations of learning - it's richly rewarding on many levels.

Ladies, I hope someday to have the chance to dance with you!

Have a good weekend. More random comments later.

Bilbo