Carl Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Lately, I'm discovering that many people are unhappy with their lot in life. It seems like a rare occasion when I find someone who genuinely gets it and is comfortable in their own skin. One of these people explained that most of us just can't be happy with what we have. I had a new experience last night, and I'm not sure if there is a lesson here or if my brain chemicals were out of balance, but here's what happened. I picked up my friends E and G to attend a surprise birthday party for one of our pals. It started at 6, and we had a good time hanging out with the gathering until it ended at 9, when everyone filed out. I thought it would be fun to hang out for a drink, so E and G indulged me. We had a good time, but it was getting late and I figured they would want to be getting home soon, since that's what married couples do. They remembered how I mentioned a Karaoke place nearby and said it might be fun. Most of my friends would be too self-consious to enjoy this place, and I figured E and G would want to leave almost as soon as we walked in, since it is a total dive with a mix of humanity that resembles the Cantina bar from Star Wars. We walked in, paid our $5 covers, and squeezed every bit of fun out of the place until it closed. E and G have this wonderful habit of spontaneously dancing. They don't have to wait for the right song or even ask each other - they just dance when they feel like it. E sang the Van Halen version of "You Really Got Me" and gave a great performance, complete with stage moves and air guitar. G took pictures because she was proud of him. The girls at the table near the dance floor who had been freezing guys out all night dropped their bitch shields and started cheering wildly. For the rest of the night we danced like no one was watching. I could feel the people in the bar, who all looked like they were missing something, envy us. We danced with strangers, we danced with each other. We enjoyed the good singers and the bad. I chest-bumped a 5' 2" Filipino guy after he belted out a sweet rendition of "My Way." He told us where the local Filipino Karaoke hang out was and said we should come. We'd all like to believe that we just don't care what other people think, but E and G are the only people I know who truly live it (one of the traits of people who don't care what everyone else thinks is that they don't make a point to tell you they don't care what everyone else thinks). E and G are vegans and don't drink. Every other guy in the place needed some combination of alcohol, nicotine or attitude to have a good time, and even then only the most daring could work up the courage to sing or dance. While they would spend their time plotting their next move, we let the spirit move us. It was a liberating feeling that requires a confidence in yourself that I one day hope to attain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Cut. Paste. Hang onto, and read at least once a week. Thanks Carl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxy Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Great story Carl, I envy those guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 I am soooooo inhibited! I think I will do the same as Ken and keep it to look at once in a while to remind myself what life is all about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 I can be loose and dance like crazy when I´m home, cleaning or having fun with friends... so that´s the trick, being in a disco, for instance, and forgetting there´s people around... otherwise I wonder if I could... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invisible_r Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 i have forgotten that there were people around, only I was quite drunk! I try and think that don;t care about other people but I do, I can be ridiculously shy sometimes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Great read, Carl; and an even better message. We only have one shot at being ourselves. It's worth the risk to claim it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted November 7, 2005 Report Share Posted November 7, 2005 Very Nice Story Carl....Hey, i figure life is too short....enjoy it while you can!...live, love, laugh, and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Is life that short? I mean, it's the longest thing I've ever done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggsUK Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 The last time mud splattered my hose in the woods, I was nearly caught by the fuzz! Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Uh oh .... this thread could turn weird .... Again, nice writing, Carl! Let's all dance and kareoke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggsUK Posted November 8, 2005 Report Share Posted November 8, 2005 Don't worry Amy, Dani is perfectly safe with this pooch.... he doesn't bite, plus he can't get out of the computer no matter how hard he runs.... Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 I wish you guys could see me. I'm 49 years old. I dance. I dance at bars, Karaoke,(no singing) concerts, the grocery store, elevators. everything. I can't hear music without moving. Maybe just a litte, but still.. If I'm somewhere that there is supposed to be dancing, but no one is, leave it to me. I'll grab a man or woman I know(I'm not that particular about who I dance with)that I nkow, that knows how I am. I'll have someone dancing, and I will manage to dance most of the night. It's my freedom, and I don't give a rats *ss what anyone else thinks. Course it helps that I can actually dance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Yeah!...you go girl! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Course it helps that I can actually dance! That´s why things are getting softer for you, CeeCee, and will get really better!!! Cause you love to be happy and it shows... They´ll all want to dance with you sooner or later!!! The other day somebody asked if I could dance tango. He thought that being born in Argentina I should know how to tango... Of course I cannot dance tango, I didn´ t even try... But we make disco-parties at home sometimes and we dance 60s and 70s style. I won a twist contest when I was a kid... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 If I'm somewhere that there is supposed to be dancing, but no one is, leave it to me. I'll grab a man or woman I know(I'm not that particular about who I dance with)that I nkow, that knows how I am. I'll have someone dancing, and I will manage to dance most of the night. It's my freedom, and I don't give a rats *ss what anyone else thinks. Course it helps that I can actually dance! You are exactly the type of woman I try to hide in the corners from at weddings ! Glad you have fun , though , and I now can kind of see your reasoning -- I used to think it was just to embarrass guys like me . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 anyone ever see the Seinfeld episode where Elaine dances at the company party?....funny stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 My 1 year old grandaughter loves to dance and she has several moves. One of her moves is to lift her foot off the ground, raise it to about knee level and then set it down again. We call it her "Elaine" step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 lol it's so cute to see little kids dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 She also has this goosestep move that has us worried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 My daughter has the "hold on to the coffee table and shake your tush", the "run in circles" and the "bounce in place while swinging your arms" She now can "request" dances. We'll be playing and she'll come up to me and say "Pokey", which means she wants to do the hokey pokey, or "hop", which means she wants to do the Kangaroo hop (a dance from her Winnie the Pooh video). Wait until she's old enough for me to show her my '80's moves!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Wait until she's old enough for me to show her my '80's moves!! Isn't that what got you arrested in the 80's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 You are exactly the type of woman I try to hide in the corners from at weddings ! Glad you have fun , though , and I now can kind of see your reasoning -- I used to think it was just to embarrass guys like me . Kevin sweetie...now you know me. I would never want to embarras you, or anyone else. Who cares if you think you can or can't dance? Who cares if you truly can't? It's the getting out there and forgetting everyone else, and having fun. Just let me get hold of you....you'd love it, believe it or not. And you'd actually be dancing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Jenny, I love you. Motherhood is amazing, isn't it? My daughter has the "hold on to the coffee table and shake your tush", the "run in circles" and the "bounce in place while swinging your arms" My husband and I donkey laughed for a full 15 minutes last night watching Ally spin in circles and fall over like an old drunk. It doesn't take much nowadays to amuse us. She now can "request" dances. We'll be playing and she'll come up to me and say "Pokey", which means she wants to do the hokey pokey, or "hop", which means she wants to do the Kangaroo hop (a dance from her Winnie the Pooh video). We get "ashes" a lot. As in "Ring around the rosies". I'm glad I have plenty of posterior padding from all the falling down I do. Wait until she's old enough for me to show her my '80's moves!! There's nothing more beautiful than seeing a toddler do the moonwalk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 We get "ashes" a lot. As in "Ring around the rosies". I'm glad I have plenty of posterior padding from all the falling down I do. I forgot about that one....she asks for that one, too, and God forbid I cheat and sing it while sitting on the floor, she tells me "get up" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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