Dancing For Fun

Everyone has their own idea of fun.
Some like to read or do puzzles,
some like delving into their genealogy,
some love to test their skills in the kitchen,
and others have the best time
venturing into fine dining restaurants. 
There are even those 
who think exercising is fun,
though I can't say I see the appeal myself.

I've always loved to dance.
I remember hearing music on the radio
and dancing the twist—
I was about 7 years old 
and had a blue gingham “twist dress”
that swirled around 
as I went round and round,
up and down.

I danced every day as a teenager,
alone in my room to my favorite records.
As they used to say on American Bandstand,
the music had a good beat and was
easy to dance to.
In junior high, when we went to split session,
my best friend would come over early
and we would dance in my living room
until it was time to walk to school.

Those were the days. 
I never felt so pretty or as free
as when I was dancing.
I danced like no one was watching
before it became a popular catch phrase.

Time changes us.
I still love to dance,
but opportunities are harder to come by.
I can still shake it,
but not the way I did to “Wipe Out”.
Age has robbed me 
of the stamina required,
but even when my body tells me
it's time to sit down,
I'll still bop to the beat in my chair.

Everyone has their own idea
of what fun is, 
and I know so many people
who would rather be covered in slime
than get up to dance.
But if they stopped worrying
whether they're any good at it
and just let go,
I think they might 
realize how much fun it really is.

I can remember my 70 year old uncle
twirling me around the dance floor in a waltz;
both of us was getting tired,
but neither of us would stop.
When the dance ended
we admitted we didn't want the other
to think they couldn't keep up.
I remember my 92 year old aunt
getting up to boogey to
that old time rock and roll
at my daughter's high school graduation party.
She was amazing—
everybody said so.
That's my goal—
to be that old lady 
who amazes everyone
just by having fun.

~Elise Skidmore ©2025