You may not need dancing lessons anymore thanks to all the dance websites there are on the web, each helping you to learn to dance through instructional videos. For a more hands-on approach to learning to dance then you can also find listings for dancing classes in your area.
001.Growing up I was deathly afraid of the lawnmower.
One of my memories growing up was the lawnmower tale. My father was one of those people that believed scaring children was the way to make sure they didn't get into trouble, and to a point I suppose it worked. When he would go out to do the yard work, he would sit my brother and I down and tell us the horrifying tale of a boy who had gotten his leg stuck in the mower, complete with details of mangled limbs and terrified shrieking. It was enough to make sure I never even went outside when he was mowing. My brother, however, had to overcome any fear he had when he took over the task after my dad left. Another one of my father's cute stories? Don't stand near the microwave because you'll get cancer. Yeah, growing up was fun.
002. I was just getting over this fear when an article came out in Parents magazine saying 10,000 injuries every year are lawnmower related.
That right there is a frightening statistic. Ten
thousand? Where are these kids' parents? This makes me wonder whether there are more lawnmower accidents than escalator accidents. And what about those freak combine debacles? Is anyone gathering those statistics?
003. I studied ballet for the majority of my childhood.
My parents sat me down on the counter at 3 and asked if I wanted to dance. I'm not even sure if I really had a grasp of what I was being asked, but I said yes. It turns out later that the reason they wanted to dance was that my father had a thing for one of the instructors. I don't let that detract from my experience though. I took some time off when I was in middle school - too cool for it momentarily - but went back for a while a few years later. I don't take classes anymore, after realizing I didn't want to pursue it professionally.
004. I won't dance in public.
I never had a problem performing on stage, but when it comes to dancing at social events and whatnot, I can't do it. At my uncle's wedding a few years back I basically refused to dance, and it caused quite a few problems. Then again, I'm not much of a party person to begin with, and most of them probably don't remember my not dancing anyway.
005. I live on Long Island.
I recently relocated to Long Island from Westchester, NY. It's taking some getting used to. Westchester was such a strange place to live, and a great deal of it is ingrained in me now. Consequently, I have an accent that has been described as "elitist snob". I like Long Island and I'm happy here.
006. I hate Westchester.
I'm pretty sure only part of me hates Westchester. The logic up there is a little left-of-center in a right-wing-conservative kind of way. Living in a small town that's obsessed with power and privilege is tiring. I gave up trying to fit in there years ago. However, a small part of me still likes Westchester. I think it's my spleen. Can you get that removed?
007. I'm afraid I'm going to forget my son's birthday.
I'm aware of how irrational this is. I think it's because it's the only birthday I can't associate with something else. My birthday is right by Christmas; my brother's is the day after my dad's. The Monkey's birthday is smack dab in the middle of the month. Something needs to happen around then to make me remember.
008. I cancel my birthday every year due to lack of interest.
Growing up, my parents tried to keep my birthday a separate affair from Christmas. It worked to a point, but I still felt like my day was tagging along with bigger things. As I grew older, my festivities got shoved aside more and more to make time to prepare for the holiday. Now that I have The Monkey, my day has been spent getting ready for his Christmas. So it's easier to just call the whole thing off.
009. I hate it when strangers think it's okay to make small talk with me just because I have a baby.
In reality, I'm just horrible at small talk. It was really bad when I was pregnant and everyone would talk to me and touch my belly. Sometimes I'm surprised I didn't bite their heads off. In general, I'm incredibly shy when I first meet someone. After I get to know someone I'm pretty outgoing.
010. I think I hate it because secretly I'm afraid of saying something stupid.
I'm one of those people that replays tiny social mishaps over and over long after everyone else has forgotten. For instance, I can still recall some really idiotic things I said during Homecoming in my freshman year of high school. I'm also bad at ordering food over the phone, although I've finally gotten comfortable with they guy at the Chinese Food place.
This is where I will type stuff about me. Like that I love cake. And trees. Oh how I love trees. And baked goods, like muffins. Yes! I love me some muffins!
