When sap starts running and the trees begin to bud, Spring is in the air - and a young man's fancy turns to what a young girl has been thinking about all winter! Then I remember a special spring of long ago...
And it's Saturday night in the basement at the Holly City YMCA. I see myself in my new plaid sport coat with zoot suit shoulder pads. All of my guys are standing in a row across from the stairs. The girls in "poodle skirts" sit up right at attention on wooden benches a mile across the room, quietly chatting and waiting…and waiting ... some dance with each other. I say to my pal Jim, “Next slow one I'm gonna definitely dance with V.” He says, “get out, she's going say no thank you.” Yikes, I start to sweat and hope my dad's Old Spice is going to work. The next record plays – Poison Ivy – too fast. Then, Look In My Eyes – I don’t like this one - it’s meant for steadies. Angel Baby – Not a favorite either. As the songs play down my chance to dance dwindles. i hear “My” song finally play and I start to walk over just as the DJ says, "Ladies Choice" - oh no, I immediately turn away hoping someone I don't know won't come over. As usual no one does.
An hour later, Jim barks, “I thought you were going to go dance sometime tonight"? I replied, "The next one for sure”. (Little did we boys realize then that the gals across the no man's land were also wishing someone would just come over and ask them to dance and that they had just as much angst about this trial as we did. Understanding this age old rite of passage takes time and tears. But I didn’t learn that until long after and much too late). I took a deep breath of courage. Now or never...Here I go! Each Saturday night I feel something akin to a Kamikaze pilot on his first and last flight. I start walking and feel at least a hundred eyes are watching. My feet are like lead shovels. I make brief but fleeting eye contact. She sort of smiles...But Oh NO...the DJ announces "This is the last dance of the evening, pick someone special and see ya next week." I’m star crossed as Shakespeare says... and I keep walking right past her and up the stairs to the lobby; out the front door and make a promise to darkness - next week I am going to ask her. Next week I am going to dance with HER… next week for sure.
Another Saturday night comes to an end and I walk home instead of calling my dad for a ride.
