Throw Back Thursday – So Many Sequins!

Since I haven’t done one of these in a really long time here’s a real blast from the past.   This is my sister, Gabrielle, and me after our last dance recital.   I’m fairly certain we were seven and nine, though we may have been eight and ten. 

Gabby is the blonde and I’m the brunette.   I will never understand why my mom thought those bangs were a good look for me!

The trophies were for completing two years of dance classes. 

 You may notice that Gabby is holding two trophies and that I’m only holding one.  She also did gymnastics, and got a trophy for that.  I wanted no part of gymnastics. 

They handed out the trophies at the end of the recital.  They called the names, in alphabetical order, and you walked on stage to get your trophy from the dance teacher.  You were supposed to curtsy (for the girls) or bow (for the boys) to the dance teacher, be handed your trophy, walk slowly to the middle of the stage, curtsy or bow to the audience, and then walk slowly off the other end of the stage.  The idea was for there to be three kids on stage at a time.  A kid basically exiting the stage, a kid in the middle of the stage curtsying or bowing, and a kid coming on stage to get their trophy. 

We both botched that.

I got my trophy and ran like my life depended on it.   The video showed me sprinting past the two kids in front of me.  I made it off the stage and back to the dressing rooms before they got off the stage. 

Gabby more than made up the time I didn’t spend on the stage.  She pranced across the stage waving to the audience like she was Miss America.  The two kids behind her passed her, and they weren’t sprinters like I was.   This picture is her still hamming it up after we got home.  

That was our last year of taking dance or gymnastics.  Our mom always made us do everything together, and I hated dance after the first year.   She made me stick it out for another year, and then Gabby had to quit when I did.   I’m not sure why everything had to be both of us or neither of us.   They should have left Gabby in dance and gymnastics since she loved it.  And, given my sprint off the stage, they probably should have considered finding a track team for me. 

So what about you?  Did you take dance lessons?  Did you have to take the same lessons as your siblings?  

Lessons Learned

I turned thirty earlier this month, and while I had a minor freak out about the idea of no longer being in my twenties, I have decided it isn’t so bad after all. I didn’t suddenly wake up feeling or looking any older. This birthday has made me think about things I’ve learned in my thirty years, so here they are, in no particular order:

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  People will never fail to shock and surprise you; sometimes in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way. People will not always be what you expect.


• 
  
  Some things are better left to the professionals; especially things that involve hair, electricity, or hot wax.


• 
  
  If you want to find out who your true friends are, move. They’re the ones who actually show up and help you move that hideously heavy piece of furniture, again and again.


• 
  
  If something sounds entirely too good to be true it probably is.


• 
  
  GPS devices aren’t always right. In fact, sometimes they are devious little liars. If everything, including the signs on the interstate, is telling you something different, ignore the GPS.


• 
  
  Moving is never a smooth process; trucks break down, people who’ve promised to help back out, droughts end, doors detach, hardware stores close for no apparent reason. Just mentally prepare yourself for a really rough few days, and know that all moves eventually end.


• 
  
  If you’re waiting for a delivery that’s taking too long, get in the shower. This is a surefire way to make them come.


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  If someone’s love, friendship, or approval is conditional you do not need it. In fact, you are probably better off without it.


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  Don’t spend money you don’t have on things you don’t need.


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  Listen when older couples who've been together for decades talk about their marriage and what makes it last. They clearly know what they're talking about; think about it, they might have over half a century's worth of experience.


• 
  
  Read ALL of the instructions before beginning any project, whether it's making a dessert or putting a fan together.


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  We all need to be part of something bigger and greater than ourselves. Find something you love and believe in, and volunteer in some way for that cause or belief. Regardless of how much or how little time you're able to spend, it will make you a happier person.


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  There’s a huge difference between baking soda and baking powder; there’s also a huge difference between flour and self-rising flour. It matters, very much, which one you use.


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  Great friends can sometimes come from unexpected places.