Jo's Place

Writer of Fiction

Friday Night in the Big Town

I love to dance. Don't care what kind, if it's a couple's dance and he can lead, I can follow. If no-partner kind I can do that too. I love the way it feels as you glide across the floor turning this way and that as he leads to the sway of the music.

Anyway, if you are around me five minutes you will know I love to dance, Any way - Any place - Any time.

A writer-friend of mine offered the idea I might like to write occasionaly about my nights out to dance.

I do meet a lot of interesting people. As a matter of fact, I was sitting at "my table" in the club (bar) I go to. I use this time for what I call "stress management".

I love Country and Western music (of course I'm a life long Okie) so the place I go is a country dance place. It's nice and I know many of the people there and the club manager.

Do I like it? I can't wait to get there and I've been going for 25 years every Friday and Saturday night. My running(not running, running but hang out with) buddy I met there about 20 years ago and unless we are out of town we are there every weekend.

She and I, many years ago, started dressing alike. I'm sure there was a reason but I can't remember what it was now. So every Friday night the phone rings at exactly 7:30. It's my friend Nelda calling so we can work out what we are going to wear that night. Happens again Saturday night too.

Last Fri night I waded through the throng to get to the dance floor and a young girl stopped me.

"Ah, ah, like you and your friend are dressed alike. I mean ah, ah, well how come, you know.

"Sure I know." and I went to dance. Later when I was enjoying being pressed against the cowboy at the bar talking and a cowboy standing in the isle talking, she stopped me again.

"Ah, Hi, I, ah, was like trying (trying is a good word here) to ask you, how come you and your friend are dressed alike?"

"Oh, I said, It's easy, to confuse people. Bye", and off I went to dance. When I looked back, from the look on her face I think we succeeded.

I used to get there about 5:30 in the evening so I could get "my table" and before I could get my stuff set down, there was a man at my elbow wanting to dance and that went on solid until close at 2am. Often I was on the dance floor 45 minutes at a time, if I got lucky it was closer to 2 hours.

Unfortunitly it is no longer that way. I am married but my husband doesn't go with me. The club is part of a big hotel close to the airport and I depend on the regulars and hotel crowd for partners. The problem is, now the big dance craze has passed with the loss of oil money, land money and gain of DUIs people don't come out like they used to. So when I find a partner to dance with I really have a good time.

At this time I dance with a man with a heart transplant, and from that many more problems but he is as strong as any cowboy I've ever danced with. I am never scared he will drop me.

He is a widower and is not looking for a wife. He spent 4 or 5 years nursing his wife at home as she died with cancer. He has two daughters but he goes circles around them. He is also a grandfather but the young girls still come on to him.

He was from a rough part of town when he was young and loved to fight. (Men?) I know he would not hesitate if the occasion arose to jump in the middle of a fight today. Crazy, yes, but for a man to have gone through the things life has thrown at him and he still has that Macho mind set, and that is what is most attractive about him. Of course he is good looking to boot in a rugged kind of way. Oh women do love outlaws like babies love stray dogs.

I had just come off the dance floor the other night and was squeezing through the crowd to get to "my table" and he grabbed my elbow stopping me. He had a cute little blonde hanging around his neck.

"Ah, (after a while you begin to talk like they do) I want you to meet my wife. Here honey, meet this young lady."

She was in no mood to turn him loose but I squeezed (I love that) between them and took hold of her and told her "Hey, he's mine and I got the ring to prove it." With that I held up my right hand with a diamond ring on my index finger.

"Well damn, she said, I was just gettin' aquainted. Are you happy or thinkin' about splitting?"

"Real happy, but if anything happens I'll let you know."

"OK" and off she went in another search for her true love.

The entire table had a hootten, howllerin laugh. It really feels good to laugh at life with friends.

Would you believe I lost 30 lbs with my old dancing program back then Sun 6 to 11:30, Wed 6 to 11:30 (had to get up to go to work Mon and Thur at 5am so quit at 11:30), 5:30 to 2am Fri and Sat. I was strong and had no problem holding up most anyone that asked me to dance.

Oh for the good old days, now I get there at 10pm because it is the in thing to have a late night, and dance until 12:30am or so cause I don't get to dance like I used to and now I get tired. Then my sidekick and I go to a nice piano bar so she can sing and I can cool off and drink some coffee before I make the treck home (about 20 minute drive on the interstate).

Last Fri and Sat there was a horse show in town and the cowboys stay at this hotel and after the competition is over they come in to dance.

My, my there were so many good looking Wranglers in there it was a pleasure just to sit and look . . .I mean listen to the music.

As I sat and culled the too drunk ones out I felt like I was at a buffet. WOW! (head shaking in amazement at the sight)! The only time I turn any one down is if they are so drunk I can't hold them up, otherwise they are free game.

Now my Dad taught me how to dance when I was about 10 years old, but I had been wiggling since I could move. But the advantage I have is I can follow anyone. I don't know how I know what they are going to do next when they don't, but I do. So I don't care how they dance or what they do I just follow.

The next advantage is I'm married so I don't care how old or young, how good or how bad they dance, how much money they have (I drink water when I'm out so I buy my own drinks) or don't have, how good a job they have or don't caus' I'm not looking for future (unless its dance, here) or to take them home.

When you go to the same place all the time the world begins to think they are your close friend and want to share all the secrets of their life with you. And since you dress pretty, smile, and are friendly your life must be perfect so you can solve all their problems between dances.

But that story is for next time I have time to talk.