Things I Used to Do #1

I used to dance a lot. My happiest summer was when I was 15. I spent four weeks at an intensive dance camp in Pittsburgh: dancing six (or more) hours a day and then collapsing at night, utterly exhausted. I was constantly sore and always feeling somewhat inadequate, but I loved it anyway. The wonderful thing about dance (or any performing art) is that when you're on stage, the only thing that matters is that you can do it well. No one cares if you're socially awkward, desperately need a haircut, or said something mean/rude/embarrassing to your best friend/boyfriend/mother/etc. All that matters is that you can make the dance look easy. It was a kind of selfless devotion to an art that took a physical intensity I've never found in anything else, and I miss it. But, I gained weight during my last year of high school. Not a lot, just enough that not being able to lose it ruined my chances of ever being able to dance professionally. I'd convinced myself that there was no money in it anyway, and that being washed up at 35 didn't sound like a good idea, so it wasn't too harsh of a loss. I just stuck my nose into some books and haven't taken it out since (although I still do keep the shoes with me).