Dance Like No One is Watching... Hmmmm

You have surely heard it and most likely have said it a time or two. I saw it on a billboard several weeks ago and something struck me that felt strange. I thought, "I need to do a blog post about this." Before I got home, it had left my mind completely. I spent the next several days thinking: "what was that I was going to write a blog post about?".  I'm betting you can say, "Been there, done that." Maybe not about a blog post, but at least something that you wanted to tell someone about, possibly in the middle of a sentence. What do we say then? "Oh well, if it is important, it will come back". I guess this is important because yesterday I was driving on I-74 and "Boom". There it was. The billboard. Now I have no idea what it was selling us, but you get to decide if it was worth your effort to read my dilemma with this age old bit of advice. Before launching into it, I do want to bring up a similar phrase that became a popular song a few years ago. "I Hope You Dance". This one I can get behind completely with no reservation. It runs in the same vein as "Just Do It". Too often, we sit it out because we may lack the confidence, but if we jump over that hurdle, we find life is so much more meaningful and enjoyable. So if I mess up your mind with the words to follow, just remember to Dance.... Period!!! If you make it to that point, you won't need to be concerned about anyone watching.

I get the meaning of Dance Like No One is Watching. Simply put, dance for the enjoyment of grooving to the music and expressing your joy in the moment without embarrassment. But who really dances like no one is watching. I mean, for most of us, we are dancing for the crowd....... right? Unless it's old fashioned "square dancing".... Well, maybe even then. Here is a test. Look at the facial expression of anyone dancing. There is a certain look we wear which says, "I'm trying to look like I don't care, but, ain't I cool???" You see it everywhere. And lest I make you think that I'm judging others, I know the feeling that goes with that facial expression. Like no one is looking, my ass!!!! That feeling and facial expression is something that takes me back to the basketball games of my tiny Silver Lake, Indiana High School. As the team comes out of the dressing room for warm up, with the crowd cheering, there was that aloof persona that lasted for a few minutes. It's "I know you are looking at me, but I will act like I don't see you."  The feeling was heightened when I would hear Fred Vanderpool say, "Come on Stevie"...  Can you see the connection? As people start to clap and cheer at our dance moves, that aloof expression will often melt to a big grin. Like No One is Watching? I don't think so. Isn't that the goal? To get people to watch?  Why do we often practice dance moves? To help us feel the music??? Methinks feeling the music takes no practice. The purest "like no one is watching" comes at sporting events with "Every Body Clap Your Hands", right? Even then we often try to polish it a bit.

So if you break the barrier and get out and dance, don't worry about who is watching. If you find yourself showing off a bit or even enjoying a little attention, don't worry. I agree, don't let anyone else keep you from enjoying your dance. If you commit a misstep that's OK too. I know that you have seen someone "dancing" and thought they looked goofy. Hey, if they are enjoying it, (as long as it isn't "inappropriate"), they are accomplishing their purpose and who are you to decide what looks goofy? My goodness, whether it's dance, dress, hair.... etc. It's all for those who are looking. And most of it is goofy (to me)... I could go on and on with what people do primarily for those who are looking, but think I'm starting to circle around again. So Dance Like No One is Looking..... If you can!
Gangnam Style