Dancing @ MindSay

So I decided not to whittle away my life only playing farming video games.  I had downloaded Farm Mania 1 and now I have to see if there is a 2nd version cuz I beat it already. I also redownloaded Ranch Rush because I never got all the trophies and I had erased it from my other computer. Now I am here with my son wishing that the next 4 days would just FLY by. The hubs is out doing some things that require him to be gone for the next 4 days. Oh Joy. At least I get to laugh at Micheal Vyck trying to dance.

I took a half day off to attend a co-worker's wedding. Andrew and I have been working on testing since I started there 3 years ago. He helped me with my first test in Pueblo, was there when I ran my test in China, and there when I went to South Africa. I was there in China when he bought 14 Rolexes and TAG Heuers from a local vendor who we already had a price agreement with, for his groomsmen. As symbolic of that time, I wore my watch that I bought at the same time. He was supposed to be there when we went to Boise, but that whole trip fell through. This was a good thing; travel was starting to get tiresome. Anyway, you could've asked for better weather. Forecast in Chicago was rain, rain, rain. But I read somewhere that in some cultures, rain on a wedding is a sign of good luck, so good luck rained down upon the ceremony.

 

I thought I was going to be late - my GPS took me through the heart of many neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago, and while I wasn't too worried - after all, Andrew and I had walked through downtown Pretoria on a Sunday morning - I was more worried that I was going to be late. No fear though, I got to the church on time, and the ceremony was about 30 minutes late. LOL

 

The pastor at the church was awesome. He had a lot of great things to say about marriage, and keeping the faith, but it was one of the things that he said that kinda stuck with me that I'll retell here. I found myself really absorbed by his words, and the lessons can (and should) be utilized, regardless of where we're at in them. He said, "Now I'm going to say something that will sound a little strange for a newlywed couple. Remember to keep space in your relationship. You will be together through all of your lives, but in order to build a stable, happy, loving relationship, don't forget the space that you need between yourselves. Just as these columns hold up the roof, notice the space between them, for without the space, the church will seem crowded. The space that you have in your relationship will keep the structure of your relationship intact, and allow the love of God and family in." Being a black church, murmurs of agreement began floating around. I found myself wanting to join in the chorus. That was meaningful. You see and hear this a lot - someone is clingy in a relationship, they always want to be there, always want to have that closeness. Closeness supposedly defines a relationship. But does it? The people define the relationship, not how close or far apart they are. Think of the above, and think of some of your best friends, spouses, whatever. I know we all have at least one relationship where it doesn't matter how long we've been apart from them, because when we get back together with them, it's as though we just left them yesterday. The people defined their relationship, not how much in contact they are with each other. Couples that have been married for decades, they are their own people. Sure, in the twilight of their lives, they spend the whole day together, but I can guarantee that they don't spend it all day in each other's company - or if they do, they're not always talking, sharing feelings, making their jaws ache with all of the effort. They do their own thing. They know that the other person is there. There's a security there, a support that may be physically far away, but the force of that support is felt in each person's heart. Space in a relationship to keep it healthy. How profound!

 

Being a church with West African roots, there were many cultural traditions that they went through during the ceremony. The usual ones were there - the rings, the Unity candle, the vows. Sprinkled in between them were the Medallion Ceremony, where the Bride and Groom, and the Best Man and Maid of Honor, each got a symbol of the event (crosses, in this case) to wear as a testament to being in this ceremony. Now I have to admit, when I heard 'medallion' I started to envision that they were going to get things the size of Olympic medals, but they were just small crosses on cords. They also did an evocation of ancestral names, while watering a living thing (a plant, in this case). They would pour water and speak the name of a deceased ancestor of theirs that meant a great deal to them, and helped them get to where they are today. This symbolized that we're part of a greater whole, and stand on the shoulders of our ancestors.

 

At the end of the ceremony though, was a very interesting tradition called 'Jumping of the Broom'. A broom, as the pastor explained, is what happens when individual pieces of straw come together, just as individual lives are strengthed by community. The love of God binds the people together into this community, just as there is a binding cord around the straw to create the broom. But a broom is also useful, it is a tool used to clear away the dust and dirt that has accumulated in our homes, making them clean again. So the broom is used to get rid of things we don't want, things that make our homes unhealthy and attract other things like pests that we don't need. This broom then is symbolic of cleaning away things that make us dirty, to get rid of the dust that has settled in our lives, and keep our souls in pristine condition.

 

So the bride and groom swept around each other, twice, to 'clear away the dust and unwanted things' that have accumulated in our lives. They start their new lives together, fresh, clean, unburdened. And then they jump over the broom. Literally. Andrew, being Andrew, swept meaningfully the first time around his bride, then swept with a little more pizzaz the second time. =)

 

After the ceremony, the pastor had all these things - their vows, framed under glass; a small straw broom; the medallions; and the plant that they watered - for the newlyweds.

 

At the reception, thank goodness they didn't play 'Chicken Dance' or 'Macarena', but they played the more recent en vogue called dance song, which the name escapes me because I am horrible with song names, but more importantly because I never heard the name. :D They had a live jazz band there, and those guys were awesome!

 

There were many speeches, and one of the newlywed guys at our table told us the story about how there was a guy in their wedding that said that,

 

"The man always has the last words in an argument: 'Yes, dear.' "

 

Interestingly enough, one of the speeches made by an uncle of Andrew's said those exact same words later on in the evening. :)

 

Question for the ladies: What is it about dancing that, when the dance floor clears and the music starts, suddenly the dance floor is full of women, regardless if they're married, single, dating, whatever - they jump up and start dancing in time to whatever song it is as though they invented the step or sung the song?

Why is it always a group of women? Not two, not a few couples - women! 10's of them! 15's, even! (15 is odd, I do know this. Ha ha. Bad math joke)

 

Question for the guys: Why don't we do this? Why isn't there a cadre of well-dressed men strutting their stuff out there when the music starts, and a circle clears around for the guys to show of their mad dance skills? Speaking for myself, it's because when I dance, I tend, more times than not, to look like a complete idiot. I prefer slow dances anyway, not that it's ever helped. Oh wait, it did once. Once. It was funny during a second wedding event, and slightly necessary during a third, for which I did get compliments for my efforts at the wedding, after having gone through dance class alone.

 

Anyway, the reception was wonderful as well. Oh! How could I forget? There were like 10 couples, at least (that acknowledged themselves) as having been married for over 10 years. But in reality, those same couples, I think, were in the 30+ year category, including one set of aunt and uncle for the bride, I think, who had been married 56 years to the day of the wedding. Damn! And I also met Andrew's 100 yr old (now, she was a day away during the wedding) grandmother, who looks really good for a centenarian. She still moves pretty good, travels alone, does all sorts of things still, walks without a cane or walker, in good health and everything! They were going to have a birthday party for her the next day, showcasing her life and all of the things that she's seen growing up. Look back 100 years in the history books. That's a lot of stuff.

 

My wishes for an exceptionally long and wonderful marriage to them, and to all of my Mindsay friends who are married. For those of you who aren't, remember: Space, and Brooms. :)

So I am home alone for 3 weeks. Mom's away visiting her old friend who used to live here, but had to move away because of her husband. It had been a few years that they saw each other, and they were friends since they were four years old, so I'm happy for her, and I can't say I don't like having the house all to myself, hehe.

I can go out and get a drink without worry of waking her up, and even go for really late night walks without her freaking out about where in the world I'm going at 3 in the morning! : P

Sometimes I get random urges to do things, like the other night I just had to run. I wanted to run and run until I just collapsed... so I went down my street a bit, but then saw bushes moved so I only ran back to my house. Could have been an animal or a person, either way I did not want to find out, being all I had to defend myself was a little pocket knife. Still fun though.

The boyfriend's going away for a few days with his family on a kayak trip. I wonder what it's like to have a family vacation. I've never been on one, never with both mom and dad, and rarely even with just one of them, on anything you could call a vacation. It seems they're quite well off. His house is beautiful! I hope if he ever gets to visit me here, that my house will be comfortable. It definately isn't as large, and it's not as nice looking. I'd try to keep it cleaner if he were here, though. Their house was always clean. Mom and I kinda slack off.

I guess this entry's more of a in-place-of-journal and might not be too interesting to anyone. I just finished the last page of my journal and I have no more to write in. I also need paper towel, maple syrup, and cheese. But anyways! Haha.

I'm thinking of pole dancing to make money. I always thought it would be fun, because I like dancing, and poles. XP

And I talked to the boyfriend about it (I don't think I mentioned his name yet, but it's Jayden) and he said he's fine with it, because the money will be going towards us visiting each other. I thought he might say no indefinately, but I guess he sees the reason in it, and I think it's a small price to pay (to dance and be looked at), in order to see him again.

I think it'd be different if it were touching, which I know he wouldn't agree with at all, which I would not even consider to begin with.

I mean, he said it's not the best job he'd like me to have, but if it means we get to visit each other more often, he'll accept it.

I plan on taking pole classes this summer, and by May when I'm out of university, I will be 19 so I can hope to audition at some places. We'll see how it all goes.

I've also become nocturnal... I go to bed at 5:30 and wake up around 17h30...

There's so much I want to do this summer, but at the same time I'd like to bask in having absolutely nothing to do, for it's been 3 years since I could say that. Every summer there's always been homework to get ahead on or catch up on or work on...

Even in the summer before grade 10. I think the last summer I had free was grade 8, which was a really crappy summer in terms of.. not having any friends and trouble with the friends I did have. But I guess it wasn't too bad... I did make out with a lot of guys. Take that as a good or bad thing I guess, but I was depressed so I kinda let it happen.

Alright, I rambled on enough. I'm so behind in my reading! Gah... Which upsets me but also makes me kinda happy because friends have actually been inviting me to things. :3 Mainly my friend Bobby who I went to a few concerts with and went to prom with as friends. He's a really nice guy and we always have fun together and he seems to be the only one who invites me to things. So yea.

I say I've rambled enough and I continue on! Well, I don't wanna go to bed! neh!

Waking up early in case Jayden's on before he leaves. He said he'll try to remember. I won't blame him if he doesn't because it might be hectic in the morning and he might not have the time. I'll still be up just in case. : )

ok, goodnight!

I love, love, love So You Think You Can Dance.  I’m ecstatic that there will be a fall season.  Where else on TV can you watch a program with such raw talent, raw emotion and genuine drama?

Last night reconfirmed for the millionth time why I love So You Think You Can Dance.  Where else on TV can you experience the range of emotion that comes from So You Think You Can Dance?  For 2 hours I laughed hysterically at corny Ellen.  For 2 hours I recommitted to my work out schedule after watching those dancers bodies.  For 2 hours I sat stunned at the level of skill displayed by those dancers.  For 2 hours I sat screeching at my TV over the bad song choices displayed last night.  For 2 hours I sat crying over the beauty of the breast cancer piece.  It was exhausting.  I’m drained. 

Where else on TV can you witness genuine displays of unscripted emotion?  Sweet, caring, loving emotion.  Not the screaming, bleepity, bleep, bleeps of most reality tv.  Where else on TV can my family sit together and all be entertained?  Where else on TV can my kids see adult men reacting emotionally and it’s ok?  It covers the entire gambit.  Stellar choreography, stellar dancers, thoughtful, intelligent, charismatic judges, and the ubersweet, without being obnoxious, Cat Deely. 

I cannot say it enough, I love, love, love So You Think You Can Dance.  I can’t wait for tonight’s show.