On the wall of my basement workshop hangs a framed poster touting a performance headlined by Orquesta Aragon, a well known Cuban music group. My husband has had this poster for over 25 years as a reminder of an enjoyable concert he attended during his bachelor days. When he discovered that this group was brought into New York from Havana for a one-night-only performance, he was all over it. The ad for the performance said, "Bring your dancing shoes." With our marching orders firmly in hand, we headed into Manhattan for a 10 PM show.
The Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street provided a perfect venue with great sound, good lighting and plenty of room to dance comfortably. The crowd was an eclectic mix of Latin music enthusiasts that included a fair number of dance school students eager to practice their Latin social dancing skills to live music, as well as old school Cubans dressed in spats, fedoras and guayabera shirts. (What I thankfully didn't see were dance studio instructors showing off their best "Dancing with the Stars" moves.) The music reminded me of the sounds I used to hear coming from our record player when I was a child.
What I noticed most was my husband who seemed to be totally relaxed and in his element. This is the man I remember from our courtship days, the man who enjoyed sharing a good time with his lady, certainly not the tired and dour individual who comes home from work and parks himself in front of the television and grunts occasionally by way of conversation. He kept me on the dance floor for the entire, albeit short, duration of the performance (only an hour and a half), brought drinks to the table in between songs and just enjoyed himself thoroughly. He even proposed a toast to the beginning of our anniversary celebration.
Our anniversary falls on Hallowe'en day, Oct. 31 and this year will mark our silver wedding anniversary. After so many years together, going through the ups and downs of life with the same person, it is easy to become jaded. Tonight I caught a fleeting glimpse of the man I married. If I can get him off the sofa and into the dance hall once in a while, maybe I can get to see that man more often. And maybe, just maybe, I can see myself sticking around for the next 25 years.
Ballo ergo sum,
- Gitana, the Creative Diva
The thought of you dancing again...the thought of you happy...reading those two items alone make almost too much joyous feeling for one post, Gitana. Wishing you this and more, always.
ReplyDeleteBen