Although we’re called the Chinook Country Dancers, and although we do love country music, our talented instructor, Reba J, continues to introduce us to new genres and songs of every era and style. It’s very interesting to watch our reactions when a new song is introduced. Most often, she skillfully teaches us the first steps before ever telling us what the song will be. Sometimes when the music comes on, there are exclamations of delight from some, while others try to figure out what the new song is. Other times, it’s a brand-new song that none of us know, perhaps even a genre none of us listen to with any regularity. Sometimes there can even be quiet grumbling, after all, embracing the unknown isn’t easy.
I’ve given up passing judgement. I know that once we learn the choreography, and dance it to the music a few times, I end up loving it. I love it whether it’s country, blues, pop jazz, pop, or something classic from an old movie. So does our audience. They love the variety, and they love that we have such a great time dancing to all of it. It seems that whatever the music, we find joy in the dance.
This past week, as I was driving, I turned off the news and let Spotify take over. I gave her a suggestion to get started and then, as she does, Spotify did a great job. Before long, Alan Jackson’s Remember When was playing, and I was singing along. I haven’t heard it in years. The line that caught me was, ‘Remember when, the sound of little feet, was the music, we danced to week to week.’
‘Isn’t it true?’, I thought, ‘We’re all dancing.’ I’ve heard people say they can’t dance, but I don’t believe it. We each dance our way through life. We dance through every single stage. Sometimes we dance with grace, sometimes we stumble, sometimes we step on someone’s feet, but we dance.
We dance to music that fills us with joy. When we reach a milestone, when we have time to take a deep breath, when we celebrate someone we love, when we receive good news, when a child is born, when good friends gather, when we walk in nature, when our minds aren’t racing, when we’re doing something we’re good at, when our worries are far away, and our families are healthy, these are times when we know the steps, when we don’t have to count every beat, and instead of worrying about the next steps, we simply bask in the beauty of life’s music and enjoy the dance.
We also dance through the challenges and sorrows of life. Sometimes we are presented with music in life that is not our favorite, in fact, if we could switch the station we would. These are often the times when we are struggling, when life feels hard, when we are confronted with something new and unfamiliar, when we start a new job, when we move, when we lose someone, when we’re too exhausted to learn new steps, and when even the people nearby us aren’t much help. Still, the music of life continues to play, and though our feet may be heavy and awkward, still we dance.
It's often only when we look back that we really appreciate the music we were dancing to. When Alan Jackson wrote Remember When, I suspect the little feet he recalled with such love and tenderness had grown into much bigger shoes. I have a feeling that when the feet were little, he and his partner were too busy figuring out what to make for supper, how to get kids in bed, and how to manage busy jobs alongside teething and colds, to have time to stop and listen to the music made by those tiny feet. When we’re in the midst of things, mostly we’re happy just to get to the end of each song without getting completely turned around. It takes great intention to notice and deeply appreciate life as it is unfolding.
Dance class and Reba J have been wonderful teachers for me. I’ve learned that even when we start to learn a new dance, and even when it’s music we might not have chosen, I understand that if I just start to dance, not complain, or try to sit out, or get in my head, my feet will soon figure out the steps and the minute they do, my head and heart become free to simply dance with joy. The music will be playing one way or the other, we might as well dance.
This week in class Reba J reminded us that when we are in performance mode, we need to remember two things. One is simple. When the music comes on, we need to be ready to dance. The second is, when we mess up, keep dancing. Life is performance mode. The music is playing and once in a while we’re going to mess up, but we need to keep dancing.
As we get older some of us learn that often the times in life that brought us the most struggle, turned out to give us some incredible memories. I don’t know one parent who doesn’t long to go back for just one more day with those little feet, yet at the time, we all prayed those long days and nights might end. We also understand that time is not to be taken for granted. The years ahead are fewer than those behind. We might not have the luxury of waiting decades so we can look back to this moment and Remember When. We know it’s time to dance now.
This weekend we celebrate Family Day. We also celebrate the 60th Birthday of our Canadian Flag. My family and my country are deeply important loves of mine. I plan to take time to appreciate all the different dances that have brought my family and country to today. While I do so, the music of life will continue to play. I might as well dance.
My inquiry for you this week is, ‘What music am I dancing to?’
Elizabeth is a certified professional Leadership Coach, and the owner of Critchley Coaching. She is the founder and president of the Canadian charity, RDL Building Hope Society. She works with corporations, non-profits and the public sector, providing leadership coaching. She creates and facilitates custom workshops for all sizes of groups and has expertise in facilitating Strategic Plans for organizations. Contact Elizabeth to learn how to dance.
I’ve given up passing judgement. I know that once we learn the choreography, and dance it to the music a few times, I end up loving it. I love it whether it’s country, blues, pop jazz, pop, or something classic from an old movie. So does our audience. They love the variety, and they love that we have such a great time dancing to all of it. It seems that whatever the music, we find joy in the dance.
This past week, as I was driving, I turned off the news and let Spotify take over. I gave her a suggestion to get started and then, as she does, Spotify did a great job. Before long, Alan Jackson’s Remember When was playing, and I was singing along. I haven’t heard it in years. The line that caught me was, ‘Remember when, the sound of little feet, was the music, we danced to week to week.’
‘Isn’t it true?’, I thought, ‘We’re all dancing.’ I’ve heard people say they can’t dance, but I don’t believe it. We each dance our way through life. We dance through every single stage. Sometimes we dance with grace, sometimes we stumble, sometimes we step on someone’s feet, but we dance.
We dance to music that fills us with joy. When we reach a milestone, when we have time to take a deep breath, when we celebrate someone we love, when we receive good news, when a child is born, when good friends gather, when we walk in nature, when our minds aren’t racing, when we’re doing something we’re good at, when our worries are far away, and our families are healthy, these are times when we know the steps, when we don’t have to count every beat, and instead of worrying about the next steps, we simply bask in the beauty of life’s music and enjoy the dance.
We also dance through the challenges and sorrows of life. Sometimes we are presented with music in life that is not our favorite, in fact, if we could switch the station we would. These are often the times when we are struggling, when life feels hard, when we are confronted with something new and unfamiliar, when we start a new job, when we move, when we lose someone, when we’re too exhausted to learn new steps, and when even the people nearby us aren’t much help. Still, the music of life continues to play, and though our feet may be heavy and awkward, still we dance.
It's often only when we look back that we really appreciate the music we were dancing to. When Alan Jackson wrote Remember When, I suspect the little feet he recalled with such love and tenderness had grown into much bigger shoes. I have a feeling that when the feet were little, he and his partner were too busy figuring out what to make for supper, how to get kids in bed, and how to manage busy jobs alongside teething and colds, to have time to stop and listen to the music made by those tiny feet. When we’re in the midst of things, mostly we’re happy just to get to the end of each song without getting completely turned around. It takes great intention to notice and deeply appreciate life as it is unfolding.
Dance class and Reba J have been wonderful teachers for me. I’ve learned that even when we start to learn a new dance, and even when it’s music we might not have chosen, I understand that if I just start to dance, not complain, or try to sit out, or get in my head, my feet will soon figure out the steps and the minute they do, my head and heart become free to simply dance with joy. The music will be playing one way or the other, we might as well dance.
This week in class Reba J reminded us that when we are in performance mode, we need to remember two things. One is simple. When the music comes on, we need to be ready to dance. The second is, when we mess up, keep dancing. Life is performance mode. The music is playing and once in a while we’re going to mess up, but we need to keep dancing.
As we get older some of us learn that often the times in life that brought us the most struggle, turned out to give us some incredible memories. I don’t know one parent who doesn’t long to go back for just one more day with those little feet, yet at the time, we all prayed those long days and nights might end. We also understand that time is not to be taken for granted. The years ahead are fewer than those behind. We might not have the luxury of waiting decades so we can look back to this moment and Remember When. We know it’s time to dance now.
This weekend we celebrate Family Day. We also celebrate the 60th Birthday of our Canadian Flag. My family and my country are deeply important loves of mine. I plan to take time to appreciate all the different dances that have brought my family and country to today. While I do so, the music of life will continue to play. I might as well dance.
My inquiry for you this week is, ‘What music am I dancing to?’
Elizabeth is a certified professional Leadership Coach, and the owner of Critchley Coaching. She is the founder and president of the Canadian charity, RDL Building Hope Society. She works with corporations, non-profits and the public sector, providing leadership coaching. She creates and facilitates custom workshops for all sizes of groups and has expertise in facilitating Strategic Plans for organizations. Contact Elizabeth to learn how to dance.
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