I like walking the beach. It’s good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
Today is a Friday. The morning is cool – even cold to some – but, I am confident this afternoon will be comfortable for all. No matter how cold it is here, it is still warmer than home – but today I think about that distant place I call home.
There, our normal Friday night routine is ballroom dancing. We won’t be that here – but I think about that home dance community on this day.
The Friday night crowd is typically 50-75 people gathering for dancing and socializing. Most are regulars – many I’ve gotten to know – other I have not. It is an interesting collection of people that make it work.
Dance abilities range from A to Z. Only several compete, while others don’t hear the beat or the timing well. Most are in between.
Some dance with a variety of people while others dance with only their partner – but everyone has a good time.
There are married couples and married solos. Others are single, divorced, widowed, or re-married. There are parents, grandparents, and the kidless. There are American born and foreign born. Ages vary – but most are over 40. Those over 60 and 70 say, “Dancing keeps them young by keeping us moving.”
There are the tall, the short, and the in-between. The overweight, underweight, and the just about right. The fit and the not-so-fit. Introverts and extroverts. Locals and transplants.
There are the retired, still working, and about to retire. A wide range of professional skills including engineers, electricians, teachers, doctors, realtors, lawyers, technicians, pharmacists, firemen, scientists, accountants, physical therapists, service industry workers, managers, customer service representatives, carpenters, IT professionals, machinists, and the self-employed.
There are certainly Protestant and Catholic Christians, Jews, and Agnostics – and I will assume some Atheists. Surely a wide range of thoughts exist about creation.
There are Democrats and Republicans, while others are unaffiliated or don’t vote. Throughout the room are conservatives, liberals, ubers of each, and moderates. Nationalists and globalists are also present.
The music plays – people smile and dance. They laugh and converse. A wide variety of people with variety of backgrounds, personalities, interests, and personal philosophies that make it work despite their differences.
As I walk, thinking about this group at home causes me to smile. It also reinforces my belief that the majority of humanity is good – and this is a good feeling to accompany me because I like walking the beach because it is good for the mind, body, and soul – and refreshing on my feet.
Community is a good thing to muse on while walking the beach Frank. Yours sounds like a thoroughly healthy one too. As you have pointed out so well, one of the wonderful things about dancing is the wide variety of people who make a connection to it – perhaps we should all practise dancing!
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Pauline,
Oh yes – Community is a good thing and something that most of us want. There are obviously many differences within this group, but there is a unifying factor that breaks through the differences – and I imagine that is true in other communities as well. …. well, except for the homogeneous communities. Thanks for walking along and sharing your thoughts.
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Two thoughts …
Thought #1 … I’m headed to the Oregon Coast at the end of this month and can’t wait to walk along the beach. There is no more relaxing, refreshing thing than to walk on a beach.
Thought #2 … your comment about the variety of people who are at the Friday night dancing. There is this thing that social media has done — instead of pulling us together, it has pulled us apart. It has created echo chambers in which our views are reinforced and in which we can believe that the other side is evil and wrong. For awhile I commented frequently on a right wing blog and the right-wingers on the blog would attack me mercilessly. Once of them decided to Google me at some point and discovered that I write fiction. He purchased one of my short story collections and then reached out to me via my blog. Since then we have had an incredible interaction — because we realized that we were people, we were Americans, we were something more than the idiocy that happens in the comments section on political blogs. We were human beings.
We really need to get back to recognizing some basic things about the other people we live with in this country.
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Mark,
Thanks for the excellent comment. Your point in Thought #2 is perfect – and an important aspect of my thoughts (although I never directly stated it). Your example of two people finding common ground in your fiction is touching and hopeful! Unfortunately, too few people take the time to get past the differences.
Enjoy your walk on the Oregon coast!
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Lovely beach walk thoughts Frank. Your dance community sounds like a diverse bunch, and such an amazing thing for your wife and you to do together.
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Rachel,
Thank you. This community is quite diverse, and fortunately (most of the time), the differences are left at the door. Given the hyper-political environment in the US at the moment, that’s a feat in itself.
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I am sure Frank! Lucky there’s music and dancing to unite everyone and drown out unwanted and heated political discussions?
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Absolutely cheers to the music and dance – which also lightens the atmosphere. On the other hand, knowing the variety of political thoughts in the room, I’m sure it would quickly get ugly. I recall hearing about an incident that occurred one night I wasn’t there.
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Wow, are things really that volatile there Frank? I only know what I read in the news….
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In my opinion, yes. Many people fuel themselves by getting news from their preferred echo chamber – that is telling them what they want to hear. There is a very much an us versus them atmosphere.
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It is truly so worrying…
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I also think of the community back home whilst walking the beach here. I do keep in touch with a couple of friends, so know what’s going on in their lives. Great image, Frank.
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Sylvia,
Good for you! Being far apart isn’t easy, yet the unique and powerful bound keeps the community together despite the great distance. Cheers to your friendships!
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You’re one of the best at fitting into different communities and finding common ground. Thanks for sharing details on one of the ways you do that.
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Tim,
Thank you. Keep in mind that you also have this – but simply in different ways.
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That is what I love about dancing – it brings all types of people together.
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Colline,
Cheers to your affirmation because I know you know! it’s a good feeling that a common bond can soften the differences in people.
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It is good that there is a community made up of so many different kinds of people with so many different beliefs. It reminds of stories I’ve heard–someone was “against” gay people or immigrants or whatever, but then got to really know someone and realized they are not so different.
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Merril,
Great comment about people – and I completely agree. Mark’s (Kingmidget) story above is a perfect example of your point.
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Music and dance is the motivation, but maybe people there all get along because they want to get along – and enjoy themselves.
There used to be many such social occasions – the objective was clear: entertainment and fun.
Is it some self-centered people’s desire to make sure everyone else know how wonderful and smart they are that leads to bringing up subjects that are sure to bring out strong emotions/conflicts with others?
People used to try and get along so much more – remember the unwritten rule about avoiding topics of “how much do you make”, politics, religion…?
All comes from making an effort and a clear objective to have a pleasant time. Glad it’s alive and well in some corners…maybe it’ll spread – positive notes of music.
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Mouse,
You have brought forward many good points. Today (to some) intentionally bringing up politics is a chance to show “this is who I am” … much like the clothes one wears as an identifier. Then again, some people like to talk, but they don’t realize how dumb they sound. Thanks for dancing along.
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I always appreciate it when humans come together with a common cause. It always leads me to the belief that humanity is basically good in spite of what we have to endure by individuals of our species.
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John,
I also agree in humanity’s basic good. We see it shine when local disasters strike … and you saw it first hand not that long ago.
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Sounds like a wonderful and eclectic group. Till you return to re-join them, here’s to dancing in your mind because it makes you smile.
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Monika,
Eclectic is a good term for this group. Maybe another way that it works is (in dance terms) we don’t step on each other’s toes. Meanwhile – I’m already back because I wrote this in January.
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I love the clip from Funny Girl. I have always enjoyed Barbara Streisand. I saw this movie several times and it never got old.
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Gary,
Glad you enjoyed Barbra … but finding a song for this post wasn’t easy.
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Aahhhh …. I could feel the cool breeze on my face. When that happens its invigorating.
I believe that the endorphins released when dancing lift our spirits. When hubby and i joined a square dancing group many, many years ago, we found it to be the perfect example of unity. Four couples coordinating to the called steps of the caller in unison may seem difficult to accomplish. However, it isn’t at all. Everyone wants everyone to do well. When a blank stare comes on someones face because they’ve forgotten a step and don’t know which way to go, it’s up to you to get them to the spot they need to be so that the square doesn’t breakdown. Lending a helping hand and enjoying at the same time. Perhaps, politicians should square dance. LOL AND …. yes … ballroom is the same except there’s only you and your partner.
Thanks for the lovely beach walk.
Isadora 😎
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Isadora,
Your point is simple – support is important, so support others – especially when they are down. Smiles and encouragement go a long way. Sure, in the big picture of life, feeling lost or dazed is minor compared to the complexities one encounters in life, but during those times, we still need others!
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Amen, my friend. You’ve said it all. 👍🙂😎
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This song is for you and for the post of beach walk.
Trust me you’ll love the music and her voice it flows well with the walks by the beach.
SEVDALIZA – SIRENS OF THE CASPIAN
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Charlie,
Thanks for the song – but 2 things. 1) it doesn’t fit the theme of this walk … 2) not my style of beach walking music (although I acknowledge the music differs for each of us).
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My apologies. 😦
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Absolutely no need to apologize. 🙂
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🙂
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It’s hard to follow Sirens of the Caspian!
Refreshers all around! I like your thinking about dancing at home. The entire reflection was a metaphor tied to feet, your feet, feet on the beach.
Very neat, Frank!
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Resa,
Wow … I hadn’t thought about the foot connection throughout this post! … Thanks for that!!!!
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LOL! It’s very cool!
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9pm Wednesday…. Go Raptors!
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Games 3 & 4 are very pivotal. Good luck!
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Dance is always so relaxing and brings people together, except of course in high school, when the girls are on one side, and boys on the other. Still gives me nightmares.
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Catherine,
Oh yes on all counts – but this isn’t even close to HS dances.
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Appearing as another world indeed. On the other hand, interesting that many of us (including me) so that, yet none of have been to another world. 😉
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Cincy,
I love the morning walk. The sand is cool and the air is brisk and the waves are still frothy enough to create a seductive mist.
Lovely steps, as per.
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Marc,
Absolutely agree about the conditions you mentioned! Actually a future post (date unknown) I focus on fog.
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Ooooh. That will be interesting.
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Ah, I missed those walks of yours, Frank!!!!!! 🙂 Yamas! 🙂 🙂
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Marina,
Glad to have you walk along. If you get a chance, here are two for you. (No problem if you don’t get a chance) … Storms https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2019/05/12/on-a-beach-walk-no-41/ Frontier – https://afrankangle.wordpress.com/2019/05/26/on-a-beach-walk-no-43-frontier/
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I’m glad I did!!!!!!! Thanks for directing me to these beautiful posts. Great flash from the past with the Doors too…. 😉 Yamas! 🙂
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I love hearing about your typical Friday nights, Frank, and my only additional thought is that I wish I could join you! It sounds so lovely to me. I think that one of the most important benefits of a beach walk is TIME. We take the time in the quiet of the surf to think and contemplate and to appreciate. This was an incredibly beautiful post, Frank. It spoke to me!
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Late to the party… Lovely walk and yes, when people get together for a common activity, all thoae barriers fall away. We should dance (or whatever) more often.
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Ah, the need for a village is universal. So great when it comes together, especially around a common goal. Thanks for the Barbra video–So true that people who need people!
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