When I was in the seventh grade, I went to a dance. Less than thirty minutes after arriving (and feeling like someone from another land as I watched over 100 people smiling and air-knocking simultaneously to Who Can It Be Now), I knew that dances were not my thing. After a bit of semi-frantic wandering behind the scenes, I quickly learned that the student council members were running the snack booth in shifts, so I wandered over and struck a deal.
Me: I know I’m not part of the student council, but my change-making skills are impeccable.
Popular girl: You have to be on the student council to work here. We each have to work a thirty minute shift.
Me: I understand that, but I also understand that it’s only a matter of time before Centerfold starts playing, and you would probably rather be dancing to THAT than hanging out back here. Me? I would rather be selling Coke and Laffy Taffy than just about anything else right now. I CURRENTLY HAVE AN “A” IN MATH.
Popular girl: Well, if you promise not to steal any of the money…
Me: I’m BAPTIST.
For the rest of the night, whenever a student council member would show up for a shift, I would kindly relieve him or her so I could continue to hide behind the metal box of quarters. I Never Went To Another Dance. Ever. No. Not Even Prom.
The list titled Things I Hope My Daughters Don’t Inherit From Me is longer than you think, and one of the items on that list is “483. My complete inability to let go and dance.”
On Saturday night, Jeff took Meredith to a dance celebrating the 99th anniversary of Girl Scouts. I am pleased (elated, even) to report that Meredith never felt the urge to sit in a tiny room and sell candy bars. (I put together the following video (with a bit of my own editorial commentary, because my opinions are Important when it comes to Ke$ha) as a bit of a souvenir for Meredith. Feel free to watch it if you want.) ((Also, please know that had I been at the dance, I probably would not have allowed Meredith to keep jumping off of those bleachers. Buzzkill, thy name is Pudding.))
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Only One More Day for This One!!! I’m giving away some more energy-conserving light bulbs, and I would love for you to win. People have been leaving some great tips on how they conserve energy around the house! Come on over for your chance to win!
I went shopping at Walgreens, and now I’m giving away a $100 Walgreens gift card! Come on over! ‘ ‘ ‘text/javascript’>
The girl in red at 39 seconds who goes SPINNING away made me laugh.
I like how aerobic they all are! I think the next time I go to a rock show I am going to jump off of chairs and throw my arms in the air and just bounce up and down for a long time. People won’t know WHAT to do with me! WOO!
Aaaaaaaah! My eleven-year-old went to her first dance last Friday with BOYS. She came home and said she had a blast and my shoulders dropped from relief. I so hope Meredith keeps her dancing spirit when it’s boys and not fellow Girl Scouts and dads.
Love that you have a mental list of things you hope your daughter doesn’t inherit from you. Sorry it’s so long. I’m afraid mine is the same.
Do you watch Glee. The principal refers to Ke$ha as “Key Dollar Sign Ha” and then I roll on the floor laughing….sorry – I had a little giggle break there.
I am also a buzz kill – but I am trying to be less so.
I also do not dance. Wow, the evidence that we may have been separated at birth is mounting up in an alarming fashion, eh?
(However, I would have allowed my kid to jump off the lowest bleacher thingie, provided it wasn’t Against The Rules. Those kids jumping from the SECOND bleacher thingie are totally asking for a concussion, though.)
Sorry, but all I could think of was Elaine Bettis from the Seinfield Show. Actually it was really funny, but I felt my bones cracking as I was watching. I had to check to make sure I was not on fast speed. How funny and innocent. !
Oh how watching her and all of the other girls just DANCE made me smile. What an absolute blast!
(And am I thinking of someone else, or didn’t you have a list of Celebrity Women (Girls) who you just KNEW had dirty underpants? And would K$sha be on that list?) ((Please say that was you that had that list and not someone else and now you are thinking I’m super creepy and will block me from your blog for all eternity!)) (((I’m so embarrassed for typing underpants (dirty or not) in your comments section. I’m sorry.)))
What a great memory for Meredith…and Jeff.
When my son got in the car after his first dance in 6th grade, he declared that he “ruled that dance”. He went to two more dances that year and never went to another one.
That’s awesome. I can remember my first dance – it felt like heaven to me and dancing was all I wanted to do. And then when I got old enough to go to clubs? Well, had “clubbing” been a class in which I could get grades? I’d have gotten an “A” 7 semesters in a row. AND gone to graduate school. *lol* Bravo, MC – may your love of dancing continue for decades to come!
She looked like she was having the best time. I was the girl at dances bumping into things/people because I never wore my glasses (even though everyone knew I wore them) to the dances. Fortunately I got contacts in junior high.
Pure joy! Way to go, Meredith!
Go, Meredith! She looks like she had so much fun! That’s so great they can have a dance without the stress of BOYS being around.
I’m not a dancer either. I don’t think I was ever that un-self-conscious.
She was having a BLAST!! Good for her.
I am like you…not a dancer at all. The only dance I went to in high school was prom, and I didn’t dance. I did manage the “first dance” and the “father daughter dance” at my wedding, but remember wishing it would end already.
Well this is just about the cutest thing in the whole world. And I continue to be proud of your anti-Ke$ha stance; ever since you mentioned it the other day I’ve been noticing how much of the music restaurants and other establishments use as “background noise” is pretty inappropriate for people under, like, 20.
As a 20-something student, I have fun listening to Ke$ha and Katy Perry when I’m home alone, but I thought you might appreciate a head’s up that Katy Perry’s other songs are not all as age-appropriate as Firework! Check out Last Friday Night, which is at least as bad as Ke$ha’s Tik Tok. Also, Peacock…
Go Mere Go!!!! and don’t ever stop! (I am actually a little teary eyed after watching that – what a wonderful memory to save for her)
It’s a good thing the video stopped when it did, because I’m pretty sure I saw a mosh pit starting to form.
K.
(P.S. Do the kids still do mosh pits these days?)
FYI: You’re famous! I was just over at poopandboogies.blogspot.com and I saw you–on the sidebar where there are BlogHer ads, you were there with a link to your Walgreens review. Crazy! Nice pic of you, BTW! I’m impressed!
Oh…what I would give to be able to dance. I was NOT blessed with the coordination gene. At all. They’re all like…a million percent better than I’ll ever be at organized…dance.
First time to your blog and I love it. What an amazing little girl you have! That dance was so fun to watch. So many girlies just spazzin’ out.
This is so beautiful! I love the idea of an all-girls dance. They look so happy and free! My girls are a bit too young for girl scouts but I hope they can attend something like this one day!
OMG she’s adorable. That was very cute. Where have you been? Here obviously, I’m so glad I saw your Orange Juice ad.
If I had my life to live over, I would aspire to be so much more like Miss M! I never quite conquered dance phobia.