This is really off topic, but I just wanted to share with my family and friends.
Last month a young Italian lady and her husband moved into town. She came to the Senior Center to ask if it was possible that any Seniors might like to take ballroom dancing lessons.
They told her to come and talk with me about the possibility. She was a delightful lady and I spoke with our female program director. We decided to let her hold a six week class and eight Seniors paid for the classes. They had a good time so we decided to have another six week class. My wife wanted to go so I decided I would do it just for her.
The first three weeks were horrible for me and I felt like a fish out of water. I just could not get the steps down she was trying to teach me and I was ready to quit. I had a dream that night and figured out what I was doing wrong, and it came to me what she had been trying to teach me. I got up in the middle of the night, went out into the living room and started practicing the step. It was so easy. The next class I danced for her alone, and she asked me what happened and I told her I had this dream and it just came to me. Since that time I have been dancing the Foxtrott, the Waltz, the Tango, and swing dancing. I am having a blast and tomorrow in our class my wife will take pic's so I can post them here and introduce our lovely instructor. I started this for my wife, but am now dancing for me. I can't believe it has become so much fun for me. Can an old dog really learn new tricks? Well I'm trying...Hay
Having a ball:
Good for you Hay! I too ball room dancing in grade school,hated it,but I was so shy,now I think it might be fun allthough I have no rythum at all.
Way to go Mr Haystack.....
OH Hay that is awesome!! I'm so glad you are enjoying yourself..you are a joy to us all!!!
" Dancing With Our DG Stars", gotta get those photos so we can see all the fun!!
Haystack, Howie... Im proud of you! Not many husbands would have kept on going, Your dear wife is one lucky girl!
oh what fun. Glad you were finally able to get the steps down. We did a show like that when I was in Girl Scouts. We all loved it
Green you'd be surprised at the rythum that comes out once you begin to relax. My wife and I both were shocked at the amount of different steps you can put into any of those dances. The turns and twirls are very interesting. So far I think the tango is my favorite. It is faster than the waltz, but slower than the swing. The tango is a very elegant dance when your posture is right. The man is looking in one direction while the woman is looking in another. Your eyes never meet, and, I have always danced with my wife while looking at her and sometimes talking with her. Our instructor put the no, no, to that. Our classes are 11/2 hours and I'm almost ready for a nap after that...LOL. It truly has been fun and I'm glad I did not quit...I hope everyone of you have a wonderful day today...Hay
I can't wait to see pics of you and Mrs. Hay dancing!!! Congrats for sticking to the class for her!
Oh Haystack! That is WONDERFUL!!! I bet you really are enjoying it!! Once you "get it" dancing just makes a person feel pretty.. and happy... it's amazing! I'm so happy for you!!
I was in a swing dance club years ago.. We would go to competitions.. I met a guy that was tall enough to swing dance with.. He was a fireman, and we never dated, but sure had magic when it came to swing dancin!! We won 2 competitions at an Eagle's club and another one just put together by the teams.. When we first started the lessons, we danced about as well as a 2x4 post.. stiff.. stepping on eachother's toes, he would zig when I would zag.. bumping heads, you name it!!! When we "got it" one day, wow... we just started floating! I really loved it!! We were well paired due to our size.. (for swing dancing, a tall gal needs a tall partner or they konk you in the head with their arm when they swing you around) and I really enjoyed that time in my life.
Thank you for "taking me back" to a time when I really had fun.. real clean good fun.. :) I can't wait to see your pictures! So cool that you and Karen are having such fun.
I never pictured you as a dancer. Do your talents ever end?!
No talents here dear friend, just wanted to do something for my wife, that turned out to be a lot of fun and helps keep me in shape. Pic's are forth comming. Our instructor is a very patient and kind lady. Tomorrow is our last class. I have learned a lot and intend to persue more lessons from her. Karen is also having a great time and she likes our instructor very much...Hay
Well six weeks have passed since we started our lessons with Marie. It's been interesting, challenging, and Karen an I feel we have some new and wonderful friends in Marie and her husband Wayne. Here are some pic's I promised and if do say so Marie is a wonderful lady who has given us the confidence that we could do this.
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# 7 In our class there was just two ladies and myself, The instructor does the male part and dances with the ladies, and then does her role and dances with me, therefore Karen and I did not get to dance much together, but that will change in the new series of lessons.
We are not accomplished in photography, nor dancing, but seek to do our best while having fun...Haystack
This message was edited Jun 1, 2011 5:38 PM
Congrats Hay. Doesn't hurt that she's also a beauty I guess! Sounds so fun too.
LOVE IT!!! and Billy Bob does too... he says he can dance too and then busted into something that is un describable...
wonderful pics Hay. I am glad you are both having so much fun with it
to funny MissJ
Looks like fun.if you can exercise and have fun at the same time thats great
Fabulous pictures, looks like you're all having such a great time! I'm so glad you sent them, the people on this forum have an amazng amount of talent. Woohoo, you and Mrs.Hay have yourselves a BLAST!
I think the real reason I wanted to share these pic's is that I'm still amazed that I enjoyed the classes so much after I dreaded the whole idea. I've just never been a dancer and really wasn't interested. I was sure, just sure I would hate it. In the very begining Marie was so good I felt totally intimadated. She just kept on me and step by step helped me to believe in myself and my ability to learn these dances.
I still have a long long way to go, but now have the confidence I can do this and my wife is so happy we are doing this together...Karen has been so patient with me and she deserves my best attempt...Hay P.S. Thank you for your positive comments.
Hay,
It is wonderful that you can find something that is fun to do!
I keep trying to think of something typically sarcastic to say, but you are clearly having so much fun I can't.
Oh comon Portpal, don't give up, you can do it, I know you can...LOL...Yes my dear friend we indeed are having fun. However I'm still shaking my head...
Haystack that is so awesome.. I know that feeling of thinking you'd hate it! It doesn't sound like a fraction of how fun it really is!
Such a sweet thing to say about Karen and how you owe this to her.. that is really sweet. I'm sure she is loving this!!
:0) that's cute.. Glad your having fun.
Our New Series of Classes, will be one hour long, one on one. That means each student taking the next series of classes will spend a personal one hour session with Marie twice a week, and then will be expected to practice with a dance partner on their own time. Karen and I are having dinner with Marie and her husband this Sunday evening to chart a course of lessons for the next year. My plan is to dance a one hour routine on the same dance for three months, then the next three months, move on to a different dance, and so on until I have the Tango, Foxtrott, Waltz, and swing dancing down. At the end of the year those who desire will enter into a novice competition performing the dance of their choice. I'm really looking forward to this. Here is our last pic's.
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Haystack that is so awesome..the two of you look wonderful!!! I am so glad that you are finally enjoying life.I know its hard to give up the chickens..but look at what you are doing for your wonderful Karen..you are one of the most awesome people that i have ever "met"..and i hope that comes to pass one of these days!!
GOD BLESS YOU AND KAREN!! Keep up the good work!!
VIDEO! I'd love to see a video of you and your lovely wife dancing! I guess I also want proof that you aren't stepping on and bruising up her feet too LOL I'm so happy for you both!
Good for you, Hay!!!! That's awesome!!! I love the photos; looks like you two are having a BLAST!!! ....You're an angel for doing this for your wife! FUN, FUN, FUN!!!!!
Go Hay go!....cha, cha, cha! :-D
Probably keeps our minds working better too, when we learn new things, and what great exercise that must be!
I don't even celebrate Christmas, but can't help thinking how much Haystack looks like Santa Clause. For the longest time I imagined him to be a tall lanky skinny guy, but then he shared his picture.
Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Haystack. Then, a trip too. wow
Wow a trip to Alaska. That was something we had planned for this time in our lives. A Alaskan Cruise and a trip to Belize
Have fun!!!! and post lots of pictures