Our Salsa/Funk instructor, Donna, has this tradition where she invites people who are having a birthday in the coming week to join her on stage during the teaching of one of the dances. So technically, last night I started celebrating my birthday with Donna, Shakira and a room packed with dear friends.
Donna always makes me feel capable and strong. It's a wonderful feeling, approaching age 45, to just dance and let your troubles (and, hopefully, your dimpled ass) melt away.
Needless to say, last night was wonderful. It didn't start out that way. The meds I'm on (thank you, dentist from hell) make me a little blechy in the belly and I was cranky, but things quickly turned around. That happens when you're around friends.
I powered through Strictly Strength (and tried not to laugh at poor Linda, who was feeling the effects of the previous day's personal training session) and was ready to dance by the time 6:45 rolled around. And did we ever dance! Even with a narcissistic Clydesdale dancing next to me, we had a blast. So when Shakira's "This Time for Africa" came on, I jumped onto the stage for my birthday dance with Donna, and boogied to my goofy heart's content.
Later that night, workout friend Nicole told me that, during the song, she was thinking how the lyrics were perfect for me that night:
Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it
If you get down get up, oh oh
When you get down get up, eh eh ...
And yeah, I think she's right. Salsa/Funk is my way of getting up when I'm down. And it works, damn near every time.
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