And now for a different turn

Life is so much more that politics.  Although sometimes it feels as if all things can be political.

So what to do when one needs to do something different, something that involves other parts of the brain.  Something that helps keep you healthy?  Mentally and physically?

No gyms.  I don't care for gyms.

I see the beautiful pictures that my friends take while on hikes.   I enjoy seeing the pictures.

I feel that a hike is more commitment than I would like to make.  Only time I ever tried out for a long hike was a failure.  I was in Girl Scouts and ended up in the infirmary because I was too winded or too heavy or some such thing.

Next attempts hiking took place with my ex-husband.  He is a good man.  We were a poor match.

This was particularly apparent in the different ways we approached getting from her to there when an incline was involved.

To make matters worse, one hike I suffered a bad sunburn and heat stroke.  Who knew Ms. Tan-able could get that bad a sunburn.  He didn't.  I didn't either.  I think my melanin was surprised by the very non-smoggy sunlight.

A better choice for me is dance.

When I was a re-entry student at UC Riverside I used to go to the Folk Dancing Club on Friday nights.  Back then I could do 4 hours of nonstop twirling, stomping, and line moving.  Bulgarian, Swedish, Italian; you play the music and I'm still ready to move.

When we moved to Pasadena and I took up Scottish Country Dancing.  Loved it.  Throop Unitarian Universalist Church had classes.  Every Monday you could count on my being there.

So now, as a Senior, I'm still ready for some dance action.  What to do?  Something I've never done before. Time for a little Ballet Folklorico.

I've never done this sort of dance before so I'm having a great time.  It's a bit of physical Lumosity, I think.  Rhythmic patterns, turning, gesturing all while enjoying some good music and having a laugh or two when the rest of the class is going one way and I'm going the other.

Very lucky that the class is taking place at the Pasadena Senior Center on Wednesday's from 11:30 to 12:30.  Because the class is only one hour long I park for free at the parking structure on Raymond.  Rosy Cortes of Ballet Folklorico is our teacher.

This, for me, is a swell match.

photos courtesy Raúl Martínez, Deputy Director, Pasadena Senior Center

http://www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org
https://www.facebook.com/rosy.cortes.7?fref=ts