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Just for ha-has, let’s talk about my past shall we?
I know it is not very riveting but I am in the mood to reminisce about the old me. There is nothing too wrong with the new me but I miss young brickhousechick and her spunk.
I would like to focus mostly on the end of my high school years, college and several years after that.
I never joined a sport’s team in high school, not because I was not athletically fit but because I was shy (I know, can you believe it?) I did join the cheerleading squad but kept a very low profile.
I was not a bad athlete, if I may say so myself. My long legs helped me run distances during Gym class and beat the other students. I played flag football with the neighborhood kids, played wiffle ball and could actually hit the ball. I was often the last man standing during dodgeball (which explained the huge red welts on my thighs when I was finally bombarded) and I killed it in kickball. I simply lacked the confidence to try out for any organized sport.
I took Jazz classes at 8:00 am while in college and was the Queen of my Jazzercize class in my mid 20’s, but that was nothing compared to how good I was (I know I am not shamefully shamefully bragging) at mastering my passion.
Please allow me to modestly tell you how f***** awesome I was at:
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I’m talking getting THIS kind of reaction – when I danced:
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By dancing I don’t mean with a pole – though it looks like a blast.
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Or Dancing With The Stars- kind of dancing.
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Or belly dancing.
Or ballet *yawning*.
I am talking, FUNKY dancing, people!
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SOOUUUUUUL TRAIN dancing.
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Everywhere I went = I danced.
My high school superlative was, Most Likely To Be Dancing.
My father nicknamed me, Footloose after seeing me appear on the 11:00 o’clock news dancing at a Boston club.
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I danced in the streets.
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In my room.
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With Batman.
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Man, did I have the moves.
Then, one day this happened:
My joints began aching. Every inch of my body hurt – including my hair. I spent all my time going from doctor to doctor. I had surgeries. I rested in bed. I rested in bed again. And again.
I had to stop working because I felt like this every day:
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When they discovered cervical deterioration of my spine, I tried dancing but looked something like this:
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But that hurt.
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After crying, screaming, yelling, kicking and feeling sorry for myself, I, being the eternal optimist that I am (don’t ask me why), decided that Rheumatoid Arthritis was not going to stop me from doing what I love.
I dance when I can and even when I can’t.
If my feet hurt, I move my arms. If my arms hurt, I move my feet. If my hips hurt, I shake my head. If my head hurts…I still dance.
KEEP ON DANCING!
Go Brickhouse Chick go!!! Sadly I need about half a bottle of wine to get my grove on!
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Go girl go!!!! Makes me want to shake it! 🙂
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Oh come on, just a little belly dancing? We always knew you had funk. Nice to have it confirmed. The background in the car dance looks like fake trees on a screen. Mesmerized me. Along with that too- hot-to-touch car seat mambo. Phew! The mister has himself one tiger. Hope he knows.
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Ha! You are too funny. We were driving along a small road in VT. passing many trees. It was a perfect place to go wild in the car. LOL. Mr. B has stopped trying to tame this tiger! 🙂
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Oh Maria, you know how I love to dance – Brick House, you rock – and I love, love, love that you are still rocking. I just wish you didn’t have to go through all that rotten stuff, I really do. Dancing was always the one thing I adored too, every Saturday night in the 70s, there I would be with my friends, Disco Queen on the dance floor, LOL. Oh we would have been trouble with a capital T at those nightclubs my friend 😀 The video is fantastic, LOVE it, you’re amazing 🙂 ❤ xoxo
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YES, we would most definitely be TROUBLE! 👹 I don’t need much to egg me on to cause havoc on the dance floor and beyond! Add a little “bubbly” and we would be unstoppable! 💃
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Girl, you go ahead and dance!!! I totally picture you in high school dancing away! I’m behind you 100%!!!!
I was definitely one to dance then and especially in college.
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Oh Linda, wish we knew each other then! LOL. I remember standing in line outside of clubs in 3 inch heels, freezing my *** off waiting to get in (which is miraculous, considering I loathe the cold.) Dancing is in my bones and blood. 🙂
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When I see you, we must somehow go dancing. I suck at it but still do it as much as possible. I can see you, slinging your hair and shaking your bad self. 🙂
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I tried doing the salsa and merengue with Mr. B during the holidays but I only lasted 5 minutes – max! My hips lied to me throughout the whole time! 🙂
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Fun post and pictures. Keep dancing as long as your body will let you. I always danced, because as a young guy I figured out quickly that men who danced scored so many hot chicks compared to the stiff guys who stood on the sidelines, stared, and went home alone.
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Smart man. I hated having to beg and drag guys out! 💃
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The one, the only, Brick House! Love you!
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You know it, cuz you got the moves too, girl! 🙂
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Rock on, sista!! I’m an 80s gal, so any work convention that involves an 80s night or cover band gets me dancing even after 4 days of standing for hours on end at a booth or walking 50 miles of a convention center. Love it!
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Maybe we can dance 2,655,566 steps this year!! 🙂
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I bow to your dancing skills past and present, Maria, pre- and post-RA. Damn, I wish that RA still only meant the smart kid in the on my floor in my dorm who knocked on my door and told me mom called his room complaining that I never called her up anymore.
Speaking of those mid 1970s college days in Morrisville, N.Y., ever Thursday night at the campus pub, WE DANCED! The whole 2,000 of us students out there, sweating out the 20 drafts and having a ball much like you described. It was OUR TIME. But I knew that I suffered from a strange dancing malady. As much as I swang my arms and grooved and moved to the beat, my feet remained planted to the floor. Oh how many girls laughed and called me a great dancer and wondered out loud how I could accomplish so much with so little foot movement. 🙂
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Gracias, Mr. B. And yes, I agree that the only RA SHOULD be the one in charge of a dorm floor! And good for your mama to be checking up on you. Hee,hee. Sounds like great times in Morrisville despite your “handicap”. Hey, the fact that you were out there and moving counts for a lot. Just tell me you never bounced up and down shaking your head. It’s all in the hips, right?
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Hips moved. Arms moved. Legs moved. Feet slid inches laterally. Feet never left the floor. My style!
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I’m sure your hips did not lie. Good style 👍
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I had my moments, Mrs. B, but not like yours, I don’t imagine. ;-o
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You…my friend, are the original, Dancing Queen! From this day forward, I’ll never hear this song without thinking of you. Keep dancing, you’ve go the moves! xoxo I was a big time dancer back in the day, especially when the DJ played, “The Gap Band.” Happy Weekend! xo
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“You dropped the bomb on me, baby”. Oooh, that was a great one. My cousin and I would frequent the Boston clubs every weekend and dance the night away. That’s when a TV crew showed up and filmed me. LOL. My moves are more like slow motion now except when I have a good day and particularly if I am in the car. Mr. B would not join me but he was singing along. I hope you have a terrific weekend too. xo
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You’re like an 80’s phenomenon, even 60’s bound Austin Powers would have to let go with a “Grooovy Baabyy!”
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Ha,ha,ha – REDdog. Lucky for all, I no longer have the 80’s hairdo or shoulder pads. 🙂
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You go girl!
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Gracias! “Get down on it, get down on it”… “Working at the Car Wash”… “Won’t you take me to Funky Town”. Oh, sorry. I am in a funk. 🙂
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Lol 🙂
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Oh Maria I too love dancing! I’ve danced in so many nightclubs. I’m sorry you had to stop dancing and I’m glad you have at least had some dancing in your life. Dancing is the best!
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I think I remember seeing you at a nightclub! 🙂 All the bouncers at the clubs knew me by name and would let me right in. Those were the funky days… 🙂
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Re: dancing back in the day – I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I always was.
Full tilt boogie on, Brick!
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I imagine you still got the moves, Fearless. The key is in the hips, right? Can you dance a good merengue or salsa?
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Chips and salsa, yes. Merengue and salsa, not so much.
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Ha,ha!
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Keep on dancing chica! You are inspiring. Baila todos los dias! Especially if it’s soul train dancing.
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Si, Jess! Voy a bailar todos los dias. Won’t you join me?
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I too used to love to dance and still do it every chance I get, hurting or not! Gotta dance! You go girl! Yay!
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That’s great, Jackie. It’s amazing what good funky dance music can do for our moods. I immediately feel better. 🙂
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Music and dancing will do that. No matter how much you hurt or how down you get. 🙂 Keep on dancing lady!
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I am not a dancer myself, but hey, you keep the spirit and keep dancing! 🙂
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I’ll do the dancing for both of us, Kat! Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂
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I’ll hold you to that! 🙂
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You rock . . . and roll!
Rock on with your bad self!
“She likes to move it. Move it!”
* Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance. ~ Anonymous
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“She likes to move it. Move it”. I love that song! I’ll have to play it and dance to it now. I vowed to do some kind of dance every day during 2015 and so far, I am doing pretty well. The car is always a great place to let loose. Footloose! 🙂
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A dance a day sounds like a great plan!
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Wow! A delightful look into your past. You are, as always, an inspiration to us all. Especially to me whose athletic ability resembles the polar bear much more than the pole dancer.
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Thanks for your kind words, Ally! Very funny about your athletic ability. 🙂 Pole dancing looks like so much fun but I know I would be bed-ridden for life if I tried.
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You go girl! Except…you weren’t the one driving that soul train, were you? Safety first.
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Ha,ha,ha! Mr. B was driving and holding the camera which is just as dangerous! He wouldn’t let me video him though. 😦
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oh man… I don’t dance… but I do laugh… and this made me laugh…
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Hey…you laughing at my dancing? LOL.
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no… at mine
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