The Secret to Long Life

I could probably make a fortune off of this one.

Today I went with Ann to watch Barbara, my co-worker, WW pal, and friend participate in the Austin Arthur Murray Dance Showcase. In an effort to become more physically active, Barbara joined the local Arthur Murray Ballroom Dancing School late last year, and as I've begun to realize about Barbara, she's done it 100% wholeheartedly. And since I love dance and consider it an art form and expression of communication, I support this idea. I wish I could join it, but currently, the cash flow situation is prohibitive.

So Ann and I went to watch a 2 hour Freestyle Rhythm showcase: rhumba, salsa, merengue, western swing, cha-cha were the dances that came to mind. And the one thing that everyone had in common: they enjoyed themselves thoroughly. Now please keep in mind this was not a competition, but a showcase. And the surprising factor was when I entered, I even recognized one of my ASWA members! A dancing accountant! And you know that dancing is the only thing keeping her focused on tax season right now. It's probably her only source of enjoyment during this stressful, hectic season.

And watching everyone dance reminded me of the days in Sealy when we used to go to the 100+ year old town halls where the German/Czech settlements had their community activities. At these dances, the largest group on the dance floor were the senior group. Please remember I was in my early twenties during this time (it was when we moved back to Sealy in 1990) so who I considered "senior" is open to (my) interpretation. But from an early time in my life I knew that the enjoyment of life stemmed from dancing. And the secret to long life was dancing. Because you kept yourself vigorous, socialized, entertained, and young in spirit.