Dance Dance Revolutionaries
So, I’ve been giving this a lot of thought…since yesterday. Why do I find this t-shirt
(brought to my attention by C. August of Titanic Deck Chairs) so incredibly compelling? And I’ve decided I know why. Let’s see if I can explain it.
First, I love to dance, alone, with others, in my car (caution: that is for the highly skilled only, particularly if you drive a standard, like me), or in line at the store. Whenever I hear music with a driving beat, or a waltz, foxtrot, a rumba, a salsa, or anything Bhangralicious, I want to move! I cast those sideways glances to the wind and celebrate life!!!
As I get older I realize that breaking into such rhythmic movement is not always desired in public places – and by “desired” I mean appreciated by my children. Of course, they’ll outgrow this and one day realize, “Damn, mom was fun!” Until then, I try to share my love of movement with them without repulsing them. Beside dance classes (which both daughters love), we are completely enamored of the arcade version of Dance, Dance Revolution. (Somehow, mother dancing on an arcade game is more acceptable - I'm going to have to give that some thought.) I know this makes me quite honky-tonk, but it’s an epithet I’m willing to live with. It’s a benevolent way to connect the cheap thrills of video games with the pure joy of dancing.
Secondly, I am passionate about the great men who helped to found this country. Their ideas coupled with their heroic fortitude, courage, discipline, and difficult struggles, both internal and external, to do the right thing and the incredible success of establishing the United States of America, has not been seen before or since.* While these particular founding fathers may not have written the words, they represent life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
So, while some may think it is disrespectful to put these icons of American history into crazy, contorted dance moves on the video game platform, I think they're not so unrelated. To me, the thing that ties them together is the drive to live.
First, I love to dance, alone, with others, in my car (caution: that is for the highly skilled only, particularly if you drive a standard, like me), or in line at the store. Whenever I hear music with a driving beat, or a waltz, foxtrot, a rumba, a salsa, or anything Bhangralicious, I want to move! I cast those sideways glances to the wind and celebrate life!!!
As I get older I realize that breaking into such rhythmic movement is not always desired in public places – and by “desired” I mean appreciated by my children. Of course, they’ll outgrow this and one day realize, “Damn, mom was fun!” Until then, I try to share my love of movement with them without repulsing them. Beside dance classes (which both daughters love), we are completely enamored of the arcade version of Dance, Dance Revolution. (Somehow, mother dancing on an arcade game is more acceptable - I'm going to have to give that some thought.) I know this makes me quite honky-tonk, but it’s an epithet I’m willing to live with. It’s a benevolent way to connect the cheap thrills of video games with the pure joy of dancing.
Secondly, I am passionate about the great men who helped to found this country. Their ideas coupled with their heroic fortitude, courage, discipline, and difficult struggles, both internal and external, to do the right thing and the incredible success of establishing the United States of America, has not been seen before or since.* While these particular founding fathers may not have written the words, they represent life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
So, while some may think it is disrespectful to put these icons of American history into crazy, contorted dance moves on the video game platform, I think they're not so unrelated. To me, the thing that ties them together is the drive to live.
And it makes me laugh.
*In a decision relating more to optimism than realism, I am resisting the urge to comment about the current state of success of their vision.
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