everyone dances. some in steamy night clubs, others a grand plié on the horizontal bar. perhaps you skillfully avoid the cracks as you’re walking to work or maybe you spin around in your apartment when nobody’s watching. someway or another, you find a way to physically express an internal feeling, you bring to life dreams of silent rhythm, you move in a way only you can move. as for me? i like to dance on the soccer field.

i haven’t played in a couple of years, but that’s what’s amazing when you learn to dance your dance, it’s like riding a bike. okay, so maybe i’m a little more winded… er… a lot winded… after 20 minutes of playing [how on earth did i play for 90 min without a sub in high school?!], and maybe i don’t have the finesse i once had on corner kicks. but when you find your dance, the skill matters less and the passion matters more.

there’s something incredible about playing now for no coaches are yelling over my shoulder, my team are decided by the color of shirt i wear when i arrive, and i play on a team with others i’ve never met. 7pm on monday nights i show up at the park by the metro stop and just play… not because i’m good or bad, muslim or hippie, white or black, boy or girl… i play because i love to play. and after 20 years of dancing, i love it more now.

i slipped my cleats on for the first time in years, oh, how my feet have missed you! the worn leather becomes an extension of my foot, a layer to my skin. the memory of the laces, the color of the sole… yes, i love wearing my black heels. and yes, new balance 760’s are my favorite. but nothing, i repeat, nothing, will ever replace my dancing shoes… it’s like dreaming with my feet.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 10th, 2007 at 10:59 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.