by Peggy Pollard, Santa Cruz Waltz & Swing
DVIDA trained Ballroom Dance instructor Oh no! Turkey shortage this year. Due to Avian Flu and inflation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says turkeys are 23% more expensive this year (but I think the REAL reason is--my third anniversary of my first YAH article on The Turkey Trot – my dance video now has 1.3K views!). In any case, this is one more stress added to our already anxiety-prone lives. And this is why we NEED Thanksgiving. As you unfold this newspaper -- rustling those soft pages with relish, floating your computer mouse cursor through this article, or sliding your fingertip down your screen glass – absorbing my words of wisdom, Right. Here. On. This. Page. Now. -- let my words melt into your brain, like creamy Irish butter into your spongy sourdough dinner biscuit. On today’s holy day of thankfulness let peace sink into your soul, as a healing balm, creating a mental haven of rest, a Chapter Ending for the global re-awakening we’ve all just lived in 2022. After this year of our lives being pummeled, squeezed, and stretched like a lump of bread dough-- kneaded by life’s turmoil nearly into shreds, we, like any good soul-satisfying yeasty dough, need our required time of rest. Like the first rise of a thoroughly-massaged loaf, this time is needed to brew in us the right chemistry of mind and heart, producing the constancy in our soul that gives our lives needed structure and flavorful growth. It’s our time to decelerate. So why is that so hard? So hard to turn off your “Get it Done Fast and Furiously” stream of consciousness, so hard to turn on your “What just Happened” train of thought. But that is the process we need -- to mix the output of our memories of this year with the elixir of “What Does It Mean?” Our Thanksgiving reflection allows us to choose how we color our memories of the year. If you are now in a time of acute suffering, you have a choice -- to either choose despair or choose hope that your suffering will be eventually replaced with a greater, longer goodness. Or perhaps you are down in depression. So many valid things to be depressed about these days: Long-Covid, isolation, economic turbulence, frightening climate change. Or maybe you are merely fair to middling, surviving, yes, but not as well as hoped. Or maybe you are doing great, successful in your life goals, but perhaps feel unfulfilled, or fragile with a nagging dread that it could all fall apart. In any case, good times or bad, you always, always have a choice. You can choose regret, leading to bitterness. Or you can choose thankfulness, leading to peace and satisfaction, trusting that your hopes are not in vain, tis NOT all there is to life. There is more. So much more, just around the corner. So let us choose gratitude, to rest our souls in the higher goodness of life. Giving thanks is not merely a duty to pay respect to those persons, or forces, who helped your life. No, thankfulness is a time for YOU to grow whole. It’s a time of resting your spirit, letting every molecule of your physical matter relax into the goodness of your life. Knowing we humans, the wondrous masterpiece creation of the universe, are deeply loved. There is also always hope, if you choose to look for it. Because you are not alone. As the ancient sage, Mr. (Fred) Rogers said “Look for the helpers in life. You will always find people who are helping.” Social dance is one such powerful place to find those who to help you really FEEL that help. Arm in arm, your dance partner’s arms encircling you, feels pretty darn nice, it’s true. Even better, YOU can be the heroic helper for another soul who needs it. Very satisfying indeed. Social dance is a gift given to us from the incredible power of goodness that is pervading our universe, the power of life that expresses itself through the abounding creativity of all people on earth… including those special people, the choreographers who are continually inventing our wonderful dances. Partner dance is the epitome of our human dances. Social dancing such a complete package of so many satisfying/happy elements: Music, movement, physical contact with others, in a safe, harmonious way. Unlike competitive sports it’s a Win-Win, not Win-Lose, experience. In fact, social dance is a great way to express your thankfulness, to get out of your own private head, into the presence of others, to cast off your gloom, and clothe yourself in a spirit of gladness, to turn your despair into delight. What have you got to lose but your lonesome sadness? Start right now. While you may not be a Spring Chicken any longer, you CAN be an Autumn Turkey What better way to express your inner spirit of thankfulness on this epic day of Thanksgiving than… the magnificently silly Turkey Trot Dance! Yes, if you sacrifice your pride on the altar of holiday family/friendship fun, you can spark your Thanksgiving gathering, however large or small, into a flame of existential frivolity. In other words, if you share this dance with your loved ones no matter how young or old they will LOVE you for it. They will be thankful for YOU. Join our next Turkey Trot lessons online or in-person www.PeggyDance.weebly.com Search YouTube: “Turkey Trot Dance Lesson, by Peggy Pollard” https://youtu.be/R-3df05X4AM (now up to 1.3K views -- please keep it going -- view, like and subscribe!)
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