Adam Blatner

I heard a performer sing old popular and Broadway songs a couple days ago, and knew some of them. It reminded me that I may not have shared that part of my life—that I made up song books, held song fests, sang songs for our Sun City Follies when we lived in Texas, programmed song fests at psychodrama conferences over the  years,  and in general promoted singing. Now that role has been on ice for almost a year and hearing some today reminded me—hey, I know those songs! It shouldn’t be minimized, this facet of my personality. You can access these songs on my website, I think—or a small number of them. I need to post my collection of camp songs, too!

As for dancing, I’ve enjoyed square, round, folk, and ballroom dance—a LOT of dancing. Yum. The other night, I was reminded of ballroom dancing.  My wife and I went out dancing last night and I realized (watching the others) that I know a surprising number of ballroom dances—though not Argentine-style tango. (We know American-style.) Mambo, Cha-Cha, Rhumba, Merengue also. Very 1950s, though a little more than a year ago we were considered quite good by our peers at the Sun City Ballroom Dance club. I’m kinda rusty and tire a bit easier now, but it was good to check out our nearby dance spots.

I’ve lived a life that’s full….true for us, reflecting on Frank Sinatra’s theme song, “My Way.” Indeed, many parts of that in retrospect apply to me, though I was far less confident than he for much of my life. I am in my own estimation far less heroic, but on taking stock I realize I compared myself with very heroic people (and I suffered by comparison.) Then I asserted myself and affirmed my existence, however humble, as part of the becoming-ness of God, which, now that I see the words, is a lot prouder than I really think I am, because everyone and everything is also part.