Let's Do the Time Warp Again!
This week’s story isn’t about The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but it does involve dancing and feeling like I was in a time warp.
My longtime friend, Stacy, came down from Atlanta for a quick visit this week, and as usual, we had a wonderful time. There’s something uniquely healing about being with someone we’ve known for decades, like a soothing balm for the soul. With longtime friends, there’s no need for masks or pretenses. We can just be 100% authentically ourselves. My friendship with Stacy is like that.
Stacy and I go way back to our Disney days, when we used to dance together in the parades at the Magic Kingdom. We both look back on that time as one of the most joyful chapters in our lives. So, when her visit lined up with my weekly square dancing night, I was thrilled.
Interestingly, Stacy visited around this same time last year, just as I had started square dancing. With just a few quick pointers from me before we went, she jumped right in with the group. This year, the timing was perfect again. Our club had just begun a new class, which meant she could rejoin and relearn some of the basic steps.
I’ve been dancing for a year now, so I’m more confident than I was during her last visit. Over the past two weeks, I surprised myself by stepping into the “lead” role for some newcomers when needed instead of the “follow” that I usually dance. Since Stacy was learning the follow part, I decided to try the lead role again this week so we could be partners like old times. What a joy to dance with her again!
There was one moment that especially felt like a time warp. Before the caller started the next dance, Stacy and I got a little silly and slipped into the choreography from the “Remember the Magic” Parade. This was the parade celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Disney World and we were Court Dancers in front of Cinderella’s Castle Float. (If you are curious how long ago that was, I’ll let you do the math. Disney World celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2021.)
Stacy and I only did about 30 seconds of the routine, but it sure made us laugh and brought back lots of fun memories. Meanwhile, the other dancers in our square looked at us with puzzled expressions on their faces. “What in the world are those two doing?”
When the real dance began, I did pretty well in the lead role, but old habits die hard. A few times my body instinctively fell back into the arm positions of the follow, and I’m sure I messed up a few people in our square. But it was worth it to be twirling and laughing with Stacy again.
This is my invitation to you this week:
Is there something from your past that once lit you up with joy, but has fallen by the wayside? Maybe it’s painting, writing poetry, swimming, or even playing an instrument that’s been gathering dust in the closet. Maybe it’s simply spending time with a beloved friend.
Life has a way of nudging us to “do the time warp again.” Perhaps not in the same way, but to dip our toes back into the waters of joy that once nourished us. That’s why I’m so grateful for the square dancing club. I doubt I’ll be dancing down Main Street, USA in the Magic Kingdom wearing a Tigger costume or a fancy jacket with epaulettes anytime soon. But those sparks of happiness from the past can still light us up today, even if it’s in a different form. And they shine even brighter when shared with a friend who’s danced down Main Street with you.
If joy feels out of reach in these challenging times, I would be honored to assist you with a series of Spiritual Coaching Sessions or a Private Family Constellations Session. Joy is such a vital ingredient for a balanced life, and I infuse lots of it into my sessions to aid the healing process. Together we can uncover more ways for you to experience it in your everyday living. Please explore my website for more information about my work and click here to book a session.
Until next time, I encourage you to revisit what makes your soul dance. Joy is timeless, and it’s never too late to step back into it.
What gives you happiness you want to share, and so you seek to find it.
A Course in Miracles ~ T-24.I.6:1