What a Feeling

When I was in high school one of my dreams was to be in an 80s dance movie.  Like in Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or Footloose I would be the small town girl who suddenly broke out with spectacular moves and mad gymnastic skills.  Sadly I was the only one who thought the 80s would ever come back and so I eventually gave up my leg warmers and oversized tops when it became clear that they were not acceptable work attire.  Oh, if only those doubters could have seen me today.

What you can't see are my super stripey leg warmers and the tiny pigtails held back by three neon headbands.  Today was our zumba 80s party at my local YMCA.  The class was packed to the walls with women and men shaking it to "Push It" and "Material Girl", doing squats to "I Love Rock and Roll", and shouting the words to "Wannabe" (we delved into the 90s for a bit).  It was a blast.

I don't talk a lot on here about my exercise routine.  Possibly because it is not really a routine and also because I don't feel like my personal image issues are something everyone should care about.  I'm just another twenty-something how would like to be a good ten or twenty pounds lighter.  But I do have to say that the community aspect of these classes has really helped.  Not only am I working out different muscle groups than on my solo runs, but I'm actually interacting with other people.  I'm looking at myself in a mirror and I'm tapping in to my inner diva.  I may not look different after the past few months, but I feel different.  I'm gaining a confidence that I never had as the gawky awkward teenager, and I'm getting out of my own brain for an hour a few times a week.

And if it means I get to bounce around to "Bust a Move", well that's just the cherry on top.