A Woman of the Times....

Her name is Opal. I've seen her out the few times I've been dancing in Olympia, let me tell you a bit about her- She's 82, absolutely loves to dance, and just joined a gym! She grew up in the WWII era, and her stepdad never let the girls leave the house for social events because they lived in a military town, but she watched her mom do Charleston and Lindy Hop moves around the house all the time, and knew she wanted to learn.

As life happened, dancing remained one of those things she alwasy wanted to do but never made time... after a divorce and the death of her son, she started doing West Coast Swing... yup, she's a Westie! And then she started taking ballroom classes, and that's how she found Lindy Hop! As she and I were talking last night, she shared so much- and my personal favorite was the comment she made about Wulf, "Oh, if I was 30 again... he is what I call a prize catch!" It was precious, and I swear- I could see a fiesty glimmer in her eyes, remembering what it was to be young and single.

It brought a tear to my eye, and I got all choked up... If only my grandmother was alive, had her wits about her-Nonna and I used to dance all around the house, her personal favorite was the Charleston. WWII was her era. And when she saw a fine lookin' man, she'd say in a cute Italian accent "Ooooh, he's-a nice. Good-a look-a too." or "He's-a got-a nice-a eyes" And I can't tell you how many times I heard from here "Melinda, you gotta boyfriend? You got-a be-a fast, like-a you mama was!" *sniffle* I miss Nonna, so much. Takling to Opal last night, it took me back in time the way Nonna's stories did, walking through history down memory lane.
These women, in their day, were of the times.

I only hope that I'm still working out at the gym and out dancin' everyone at the young age of 82! To be such a part of history...

"The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs." Charles Baudelaire