Salsa Lessons

At the first salsa lesson I picked out a guy whom I was sure wouldn't last. He was sulky, stiff, and had clearly been dragged there by his wife. I estimated he'd be gone by the third lesson.

And yet, every week he returns. As the months wear on, he pouts less and smiles more. I realized tonight that he's one of the best dancers in the class, and he's clearly enjoying himself more than his wife is. He carefully leads me into a spin, takes my hand when I return, and when I say "well done!" he smiles and says "of course" as he leads me into another turn.

Maybe some of the dancers thought that I wouldn't last. I even doubted myself. But this is why I keep going back:

Some selected things said to me during salsa class:

Relax!

Your arms are too stiff.

Let go!

Stop. You are too rigid. You need to relax and let ME lead!

Stop thinking, just dance!

Are you ok? Because you look very serious. Don't worry about missing the steps, just relax and dance.

And finally, after I have spun, turned, stepped, and spun, my head is dizzy but my feet have aligned and I am back into the open arms of my partner, who is just as surprised as I am, when I realize that this is the first thing I have done well all day, the first thing that I am proud to have accomplished:

Why are you laughing?