I am in a small, hot room in the middle of winter. Although I look like I’m dressed for aerobics, the (much) older people around me look like they could be heading to the grocery store. Luke Bryan comes through the speaker, telling me what makes me “country.” Thanks, Luke, but I am really not feeling very country.
“Is it the size of your tires and your fires, or your wild-ass buddies?” Luke asks me. But I wave him off, too busy trying to get the “rocking chair” right. For the uninitiated, this means I am in a country line-dancing class. Yee haw.
I owe this adventure to my friend, Jill, who rounded up a few of us to “try something new.” Well, this is new, alright. I’ve done country line dancing a couple of times before—once at a Colorado dude ranch on a business trip and again at a couple’s wedding shower. I think I’d at least had a cocktail on those occasions. And I’d suggest having a cocktail before you try to get the rocking chair right. Otherwise, you overthink it like some city slicker.
Speaking of city slickers, that’s more my vibe. But I’m in the stage of life where I keep thinking I need to break out of my rut. Jill’s invitation came just at the right time.
Interfering with me channeling my inner Carrie Underwood is the woman to my right, who looks like she smokes a pack a day. As we tool through the moves, Luke crooning along, I begin to have some fun. The hips are swaying a bit more and my sass is starting to show. Until I realize that Suzy Smoker has edged me right out of her line. I am somehow between lines in this room—in a line completely of my own making—as if in a Solid-Gold-dancer spotlight. Oy.
I get the feeling that Suzy would like it better if the newfangled newcomers had not joined “her” line-dancing class. Or perhaps I misread her. But I don’t think so, given I am now dancing in my own line, trying not to rocking-chair right into anyone. Janet, our fearless instructor (of “Dancing with Janet” and no, I’m not kidding on that name), shouts out encouragement. Which helps, until we get to the cross shuffle and coaster combination. Then, I just wish for a cocktail. And pray no one is videotaping this class.
As luck fate would have it, I pull my Achilles tendon a few days after my foray into being a country gal. And so, I’m sidelined for about three weeks until it heals. My brave friends finish the class and a couple of them even end up at Tequila Roadhouse to give their boot-scootin’ skills a whirl. So I guess my answer to Luke’s question about what makes me country is my wild-ass buddies.
And yes, despite every ounce of sarcasm you’ve just read, I appreciate them dragging me into new adventures. I just hope the next one has more to do with a samba, some sashaying and sangria—sans my nemesis, Suzy Smoker.
Here’s to breaking out of your comfort zone this week, y’all. Find your wild-ass buddies and get to it . . .
candidkay 
Will do! A pair of Tevas for your feet to breathe and has cut outs for allowing water to flow out is good. Protects the feet with the sole(think rocks, shell or other) and straps so you don’t lose them when you get into shallow water.
“Oy!” Is right!
God bless on that fun, I tried and I can do county dance and square dance but line dance…nope!
Ahh, but getting out and doing something not done, well that will be the kayak paddle in a few weeks. Here’s to hoping I don’t capsize!!! (Pics will be included if I do!)😉😛
Nims
P.S. Hope your Achilles feels better.
Kayaking is on my list! Just not in the ocean. Perhaps a very calm river to start😊. Let me know how it is for you. I’ll take any tips you’ve got!
Yeha! Good for you and what a great reminder to experience life in many ways, even though it may come at a cost to our bodies and ego ha !💃🏼💃🏼😀
Thanks, Karen😀. Beginner’s mind! A good thing.
Suzy obviously doesn’t appreciate being out of her comfort zone! Good for you for trying something new 🙂
What a wonderfully diplomatic way to put it. Just like you😀. And you’re oh so right.
I’m in your conga line, my friend, even when I’m late to the party. This post had me chortling away throughout. Thank you for sharing it! And I just want to say that my posterior tibial tendon sends your Achilles tendon kindest regards and felicitations! Hope you will heal quickly and boot-scoot yourself right back out into more new experiences and adventures. xoxo
And just how is that tendon doing? I hope it’s continues to cooperate! Perhaps a conga line is in your future:). XXOO
My tendon keeps me humble, philosophical, and tethered pretty close to home, but at least I’m able to get out to do little things. Thank you for asking! Meanwhile, hope you’ll be up and at ’em soon! xoxo
There’s a Suzy-Smoker in most every group. Glad you kept dancing until your Achilles gave you a legitimate excuse to samba.
George said the same about one in every group! 🙂 But a samba sounds pretty good right now.
Always good to try something new, but hopefully without the involvement of injury. Feel better soon! xx
Right! The tendon is healed:). Feeling great—thanks!
I love this post. We were pretty good at line dancing (my wife was, I’m slow to catch on). It’s great exercise. Round dancing is fun. Not square dancing, round dancing, dancing traditional dances (waltz, Fox-trot, rhumba, swing, in a circle…with a partner). Try ballroom, or social, dancing. It’s challenging and lots of nice people, some even wild-ass.
It’s great that you two have found something to do together! So many couples can’t find a common “fun” activity . . .
We’ve all been dragged kicking and screaming from out of our secure little life Kristine…to find a bit more of us. Who knew we could do these things, and even sometimes enjoy it 😀
May your hips swing to the beat, your toes tap to the rythm…and whatever you do, don’t let the nay sayers keep you dressed in your prison greens 😀
Here, prison garb is orange. So, no worries. I look awful in orange and avoid it at all costs😉
I think, and I’m just tossing a wild guess out here, but there must be a Suzy Smoker at every line dance class across the country. But I may be wrong. You might be safer in a samba class, but I wouldn’t bet the ranch on that..:)
I’m thinking you’re onto something there, George😉
This is too funny–whenever I think of country line dancing, all I can see is that awful Pepto Bismal commercial–Suzy Smoker would fit right in! But if you’re really up for adventures, you’ll have to join my warehouse heist crew;-)
Yes, this is true. Although I think I might get a little testy with them and try to take over:). Sounds like they could use some leadership!
Yeah, we actually need someone with a little more heist experience than me, lol!
Hold on! I was getting the warehouse bit mixed up with your most recent about the rooftop crew . . .
LOL you’re so funny. Here’s to breaking out of the ordinary and into something, out of line, LOL
I see what you did there:). Wishing you something new & fun this week!
Ouch on the Achilles. Hope it mends quickly and well.maybe belly-dancing next time. I remember my brief attempt at that being great fun.
Oh, you brave gal. Belly dancing in my 20s yes? Post two babies? I have to think about it:). But it sounds like fun . . .
Everyone in my class was a mother, and many were much older than me. Popular culture suggests belly dancing is all about nubile young women, but the reality is quite different. And it’s really good exercise for post-baby bellies. Crikey; I’ve just about talked myself into trying it again.
Thanks for the encouragement . . .
You’re welcome 😁
I have one of those friends. She says she’s gonna make a Yankee out of this Southern Bell yet. Ha! I have her saying “y’all” now. She has me attending Zumba with her twice a week. Oy!
Zumba is more my style! I have tried to convince my boot-scootin’ friends to join me:). I bet you can line dance up a storm . . .
For the record: You can never have too many wild-ass friends. Bad-ass friends valuable too, but wild-ass friends are far more fun. Just promise you’ll reconsider your adventurous ways if you start shopping for a pickup truck with mud flaps and a gun rack. Even if you go down that route, it’s okay as long as you keep writing about it. Oh yeah!
I think you should have no fear about me shopping for any of the above–my eldest, on the other hand:). ’nuff said:).