"It's not square dancing, Punk!"
So there I was one day, subbing in a high school class and wearing my black cowboy boots. A couple of the girls were commenting on how they liked the boots and the conversation turned to why I was wearing them. I told them. "These are my dancing boots," I said. A couple of the girls were aware enough to understand that they were for country dancing; as in two stepping. However, a couple of the boys, and one in particular thought we were discussing square dancing.
No. Country dancing is not square dancing.
This was hardly the first time I had found myself in a conversation about these boots. Some middle school kids were absolutely convinced that the black boots I was wearing were girly boots. Apparently, it is inconceivable that men would wear cowboy boots to them, only women. There is a lot I could say about that, but it really sort of explains itself. To sum it up; cowboy boots are not feminine, that is why they are cowboy boots and not cowgirl boots.
The high school kid thought it was funny and I mostly played along. "It's not square dancing, Punk!" I wanted to say ... but I was professional enough to leave out the "punk" part.
It's been a few years now since I took the time and effort to learn to dance. There are a lot of good things that have happened for me because of that choice. It was tough to force myself out there and it was therapeutic. I was flat out scared of the dance floor. Not that it was more crowded than any other I'd seen or been on, but it moved and swayed in such a way, with very good dancers, that I would simply watch for a while after the lesson and then simply turn and leave. It wasn't until I was a couple months into it when one night I found myself there very, very late, with no shortage of dance partners, that I finally felt it, but I don't listen to country, so I don't just hang out. I've been the guy needing encouragement. I have helped friends. I have been out there doing a dance like the schottische, with only two couples and a lot of newbies watching and wanting to learn.
It's all good.
But, it's NOT square dancing ... Punk!
