Try New Things

Everyday when I go to work (at an elementary school, just so you're aware), we do the exact same thing. We verbally repeat the same exact thing every morning during calendar time. Repetition is good for children. Repitition is good for children. As a result, I now have ingrained in this brain of mine the 5 rules of the classroom:

1. Use kind words and kind voices

2. Keep your hands and feet to yourself

3. Raise your hand

4. Follow directions without complaining

5. Try new things

Well, last night I followed at least one of these rules without complaining, and that was Try New Things. Last night I went horseback riding (why is it called horseback riding? Couldn't it just be called horse riding--I mean, where else are you going to ride on the horse?) AND "swing" dancing; two things I have never really done before. Oh yeah, when I was like, six, one time I got to ride on a horse that was pulled along by a rope, but I don't think that counts. Then when I was older like, eight, I was the only person on the saddle and we followed a trail, but that horse just followed the other horses. So, I don't think that counts either.

I was really excited to go horseback riding! (why is it called horseback riding? Couldn't it just be called horse riding--I mean, where else are you going to ride on the horse?--more repetition.) There were three horses that like, twenty of us had to share. There was a tall horse, a medium horse, and a short horse. I, of course, wanted to ride the short horse--you know, less amount of work to get on the saddle, and so forth. Little did I know, the short horse was the feisty one. Great. I hadn't been on a horse for what, over fifteen years, and I have to get the wild one. Not to mention, I don't know what the heck I'm doing. So, my horse would trot without me wanting it to. My horse would bite the other two horse's butts for some reason and get those horses aggravated. My horse even started into a gallop, and here I was, without my feet in the stirrups (because I couldn't reach...sigh) holding on for dear life onto the saddle horn for like, ten seconds. I seriously almost fell off. I would've been bruised--emotionally.

So that was fun. I rode on the feisty one for maybe five minutes. After my turn on her I tried the medium horse--much nicer. Sure, less exciting, but maybe I had just a little more control over this one. Maybe. Still, she didn't exactly do what I wanted her to, but she was calmer...which is good in my book. I rode this one for maybe ten minutes. I found that I really like to ride horses, despite my legs being really sore today.

After horseback riding, we went swing dancing. I have also never done this before...and there's probably a reason for it. I suck. We walk into this room of about thirty people just doing all these swing moves and I'm just standing there in shock. How could I ever do that? I couldn't possibly do that. So, I didn't do that. Good thing my brother was there because he and I just did whatever the crap we wanted. We did dumb moves that no one has ever seen before. Yes, that's right, we made up our very own moves--which was kind of fun. What was even better was that I didn't care. I'm sure those swing-dancing activists were looking at us in horror. Who really "raises the roof" at a swing dance? No one. But my brother and me.

Definitely not my bro and me

This isn't us, either

Getting closer: my dancing could somehow be related to the Elaine Dance

My brother's dance could stem from The Carlton

You know how there's always at least one awkward person at a dance who will generally walk around by himself and just stare? Or start dancing by himself as he tries to fit into some group? Those people are cool! Anyways, there was an awkward girl at this swing-dancing joint. She walks up to our little group and just stands there. Then she tries making conversation with my brother. Obviously, my brother doesn't want to dance with her but the girl is trying so hard to get him to ask her to dance. It's funny stuff watching your brother try to get away but having a girl follow him around everywhere. I guess my brother was trying to get me to ask him to dance so he could get away, but I wanted to watch him squirm--it makes things more entertaining that way.

Towards the end of the dance the awkward girl left. My brother then decided to take on the role of the awkward person at the dance. He tucks his shirt in, pulls his pants up high, puts his hands in his pockets, walks around between each couple, stopping to stand in a spot for a few seconds at a time, all the while having a creepy grin on his face. What a great way to end the night. Made me laugh.

It is good to try new things. I learned not to judge a book by its cover--the smallest horse had the biggest personality. I learned you can make anything fun no matter where you are (okay, this isn't true for everything)--like you can make swing dancing something you enjoyed doing, by making a fool of yourself and dancing however you wanted. I learned that awkward people at dances are so fun to watch. But it's even more fun to watch the expressions on people's faces as the awkward person comes toward them.

I would love to go horseback riding again. However much fun I had at the dance, I do not think I would go "swing" dancing again--it's embarrassing when a guy asks you to dance and you have to explain how you don't know what you're doing. And then he tries to teach you steps, when really, you don't want to swing, you just want to make up your own stuff (or moves As Seen on TV!)...and people-watch...and people-watch...