I just had a really lovely weekend in Durham,
dancing. But the thing that I always come away with from these weekends is
almost firstly, most importantly, how great the people are.
Yes I had some fabulous dances, but I am always bowled over by the fun and generous spirit of the swing community and the dancers I know. And how fortunate I am to know them.
Yes I had some fabulous dances, but I am always bowled over by the fun and generous spirit of the swing community and the dancers I know. And how fortunate I am to know them.
One of my favourite things they did at DJam was to give
prizes to people, not for their dancing (although they did this, and Leeds
dancers did us proud completely cleaned up), but for their general personal contributions to the weekend. I
don’t know Malcolm personally who won one of those prizes for his amazingly
enthusiastic and entertaining jazz which was great to watch, but I do know the
wonderful Ben. And therefore how deserving he was of the other prize.
Ben is always enthusiastic and brings joy and vitality to everything he does. He is inclusive, honest and friendly to everyone, which is what the swing should be. Also, the first time I met him he was dressed as a French maid and wearing tights. I knew from then that we would get on well.
His dancing is creative, fun and adaptable. (I even forgive him one of the most extreme accidental lindy gropes I have ever experienced on Saturday- it was in pursuit of swingovation).
Ben is always enthusiastic and brings joy and vitality to everything he does. He is inclusive, honest and friendly to everyone, which is what the swing should be. Also, the first time I met him he was dressed as a French maid and wearing tights. I knew from then that we would get on well.
His dancing is creative, fun and adaptable. (I even forgive him one of the most extreme accidental lindy gropes I have ever experienced on Saturday- it was in pursuit of swingovation).
In short, we love you Ben and if they had made that award
“people’s choice” I bet you still would have got it.
My other special mention goes to Les and Alison. They accommodated up to 12 people in their home this weekend. They refused kitty money to go towards our food and provisions etc, and were (as always) kind, welcoming, complimentary and generous hosts.
Les and two of the other hostees even came to rescue me when my car got stuck in the ice and snow on the way to his home, shovels in hands and yaktrax on boots ready to push the car out of the ice. Thank you!
My other special mention goes to Les and Alison. They accommodated up to 12 people in their home this weekend. They refused kitty money to go towards our food and provisions etc, and were (as always) kind, welcoming, complimentary and generous hosts.
Les and two of the other hostees even came to rescue me when my car got stuck in the ice and snow on the way to his home, shovels in hands and yaktrax on boots ready to push the car out of the ice. Thank you!
But not just dancers- as a society we are always thinking
about the problems. Behavioural issues, crime, the loss of community spirit
etc. But we forget how kind most people can be in everyday life, and how much
community there is in other forms.
On my way back home today I stopped in a petrol station in Leeds. The weather was horrendous, and my petrol cap was blown from the top of my car to really far under my car.
A motorcyclist at another pump could see I was having trouble trying to reach something, came over and offered to help. He lay down on the dirty wet petrol station forecourt to crawl under my car for me.
It was a lovely random act of kindness: he could so easily just have biked away without a second thought.
In short. Kindness makes the world go round. It’s all very well at being good a things: be it dancing, or music, or knowing about something :) ; but they are nothing without a smile and a helping hand when needed.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
On my way back home today I stopped in a petrol station in Leeds. The weather was horrendous, and my petrol cap was blown from the top of my car to really far under my car.
A motorcyclist at another pump could see I was having trouble trying to reach something, came over and offered to help. He lay down on the dirty wet petrol station forecourt to crawl under my car for me.
It was a lovely random act of kindness: he could so easily just have biked away without a second thought.
In short. Kindness makes the world go round. It’s all very well at being good a things: be it dancing, or music, or knowing about something :) ; but they are nothing without a smile and a helping hand when needed.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
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| I google imaged "kindness" because I like a good illustrative picture in a blog. And I found a kitten probably entirely traumatising a duckling in the pursuit of Cuteness. Hurray! (I hope the duckling was ok after this encounter). |
