And a quirky one at that.
Let me tell you about my day.
I slept in until 11.
cuddled with my kids a little bit
played some games on my phone
dressed up and did the hair of about 30 barbies with my mini me
ate a banana
took a shower
danced in front of my mirror in my underwear
felt beautiful
blogged
let's go back to the feel beautiful part..
there is something about dancing that has always given me that "belle of the ball, cinderella"-type feeling.
When I dance I feel gorgeous... I think dance is something that makes me feel the most alive, that makes me feel the most comfortable in my skin.
I have always loved to dance... I have never been afraid.
I danced in the rain with my mother as a child,
I embarassed my friend William by dragging him to a hoe down in the 3rd grade
I was called up in front of the class to do a ballroom presentation in my 6th grade history class and I felt like the most beautiful girl in the world.
My dad's friend Darren's Band "SKANIC" who are awesome b t dubsss (btw) pulled me up on stage at a beach concert when I was about 8 years old.
I did musical theater
took ballroom classes in college
took part in many ballroom dance events well into my current day adulthood
and I zumba for exercise.
a story of my dancing past that I think most embodies my point of how dancing is something innately "me" would be my cousin Alana's Quinceanera.
A Quinceanera in many latin cultures is the right of passage of a girl into womanhood at her 15th birthday... there's usually an extravagant venue, catered food, fancy dresses much of that like a wedding...
I am a year older than Alana so at this particular time I was 16.. and when I look back on this memory; fearless.
it came time for free dance and the dance floor was bare... a sad sight to see because the music was PUMPING with backstreet boys and N Sync (nahhh but maybe?) anywhoo I started dancing in the middle of about 100 people.. I didn't care what they thought, I just felt happy and free.. pretty soon I was dragging my little cousins on the floor, and then my dad and step-mom, and the birthday girl joined in and pretty soon EVERYONE was gettin' down with themselves..
later that day, my dad brought up how brave and adventurous I was because I fearlessly pumped everyone into a dancing coma... but to me, I didn't do anything special, I was just being me, without fear of how other's perceived me.. the way I strive to be everyday.
being in contact with the person God made you to be. Brings you one step closer to Him.
my Senior year of high School, on the final day of my AP senior English class, our teacher had us sit down in a big oval and each take turn saying one positive thing about someone else in the class... making sure not to duplicate..
eventually this web of compliments is thrown around bringing smiles and tears to everyone's faces.. Pretty soon it was Luke's turn.. Luke Simmons is a man (then a boy..?) whom I had known since the 1st grade.. (and had a little crush on him until 6th grade) He was always quiet and kinda nerdy in elementary school, but somehow through middle school and into high school he was turned into this dreamy jock hunk. (sorry Luke if you're reading this)..
I have always been this kinda dweeby person.. very true to myself, very unapologetic, very unique in a lot of ways and all through school up until college.. I was teased... a lot.. sometimes in unspeakable ways..
but that's another day.
So needless to say after Luke received his compliment, he looked around the circle for someone who hadn't been up yet and his eyes settled on me..
his compliment was what most surprised me..
I wish I could remember it verbatim but it went something like this. "I admire you Erin, you have never changed, you are true to yourself and always have been"
It wasn't a "You write good papers"
or a "you have a good popcorn reading voice" (which is the nerdiest complement ever btw)
no.. this was something that would stick with me and resonate with me to this very day.. and it was given to me at a key point in my life.. a point where we were all going to branch off to our different trails of life, follow our paths to unknown destinations..
we were graduating from high school, we had been together ever since birth essentially.. and now our real lives were starting.
and he spoke to me, about me, and instilled in me, the courage to keep on being me.
I don't think I have ever acclimated to someone else's ideals of persona... I have changed with fashion trends and the like.. but my person has been very constant.
apart from evolving in ways life inevitably erodes in you.
and that's one reason to dance with confidence.. that's one amazing reason to smile today.
I leave you with the song I was just dancing to.:
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