Dance Class

I started out chirpy enough, in my t-shirt and cotton shorts, my hair in a ponytail, ready to rock and roll. It was 7:30 PM and as usual, the room was filled with women of all ages, dressed to break sweat and serious about good health. There was a man in front of me dressed in tight spandex, cyclist outfit. He's probably late 50's or early 60's but very well toned. But I digress.

Then the music started playing and before I know it, I was swept along by the beat, lifting my legs, one two three, hop, skip, bounce, flapping my arms like a chicken. Not too long after, I feel the dwindling supply of ATP and my energy wanes. I think stamina is like this magical ark that stores energy in people. My ark is either really small or it's leaky, not efficient at storing energy. I got sooo tired!

One dance routine, we were supposed to do the whole riverdance thing, and we had to throw our arms up and down and to the sides, straight out, with our fingers splayed. You won't believe how much wind it took out of my sails, my friends, just to keep up with that grueling routine. I kid you not, I was throwing my skinny arms out and to the side repeatedly for all I was worth, but I was always a step behind the music and beat, and my horizontal arms were fastly becoming lopsided diagonals. At one point, I rolled up my short sleeves over my shoulder and glared at my puny biceps, and slapped it a couple of times to get it working. It was shirking its duties and bailing out on me right when I need it most.

And the whole time I was gasping and trying desperately to keep up the inhuman bounce and kick, I had visions of myself going to the gym every morning bright and early at 6 AM. Then reality quickly broke into my reveries. It's so typical! I always do this. I always bite off more than I can chew and start off with grandiose dreams of becoming the next rambo/rocky/jet li/mother theresa/tyra banks. So very sternly, I told myself to just focus on the here and now. And tomorrow, if God willing, I'll get up and go to the gym. But I won't make long term goals, I'll just focus on my tasks one day at a time.

Finally thankfully, the music ended and a slower paced melody filled the air. It was "recovery" time and we begin to sway slowly from side to side. I took that blessed moment to fill air into my floppy lungs. Aaah, the threatening blackness receded and I knew, all was well with me now.