New Focus Found

Maybe it took postponing doing my laundry on Friday until later today, which is the next available moment, but I found something new to focus on, to get past the now what  blues I was experiencing. Or maybe, I should say I returned to something I was focused on before I got distracted by my move to a new job and establishing my support channels.

A couple of weeks ago, before Spring Break at the college, we had just finished reviewing what we had learned the week before and the teacher, Kelsey, had started us on hip locks and shimmies. She mentioned that she was going to be in a performance this last Saturday at the Belly Dancing festival at 10:45 AM. The festival ran from 10 AM to 10 PM.

I had told my friend Robin about it, and asked if she would like to go with me. She thought it was a great idea. I even invited Deborah along for company as well.

Then last week, Robin quit the company. She opted out of going to two performances at Plan B with me, saying let Deborah have the tickets, and then on Friday, in her malaise, she said she was going to be packing for a trip to San Francisco to unwind for a week. She's there now.

On Saturday, I plugged in Utah State Fairgrounds into my Android phone, and it faithfully took me to Utah County Fairgrounds. I got there 10:28, except I was in the absolute wrong location. Where I needed to be was the State Fairgrounds, which searching the web on my phone proved to be about 30 minutes North of where I was.

The music when I got there was an absolute draw. As I got through the ticket line and further in the building, I had to fight to not be the only spectator dancing. When I could finally see the stage, I saw a troupe of women belly dancing with scimitars poised on their heads.

Between performance sets, I wandered the aisles looking for a top for my red costume I have been putting together. I saw shimmering red on one of the hanging racks and found a tribal bra suspended from it. The proprietor, a dancer herself, had made the bra, and the cups were perfect. When we went to try it on, we discovered it was only 32 inch waist band. She and I started discussing a custom made bra, when she remembered that she had a sequined half-shirt in the same material, which I tried on behind a curtain set up especially for that near the ladies room. Now that no one was watching while I was trying it on, I let myself dance.

From that point on, everywhere I had a private moment I would start to dance the few moves I had learned to date. I went back and had a seat until the next show.

About 2 PM, I was hungry and had made it as far as my car before Deborah called. She was on her way. If she had called a moment later, I would have already driven off the Fairgrounds calling it a successful day. I went back inside.

After Deborah joined me, the announcer came over and introduced herself, saying she knew everyone else in the room. As we talked, Kitty told me she was an instructor in Ogden, and that she would find a teacher for me to continue with after my class at the college completed.

When I took Deborah to see a beautiful Tika set that would perfectly match my outfit, the woman said that I looked familiar, and had I been to The Wild Grape on February 13. I had been there, but not that day. Meanwhile, she introduced herself to me, giving me both her stage name and her real name.

We were at the festival until 8 PM. Before we left, we were making another round of the tables when I saw a gorgeous lavender tribal belt nestled among many. When I finally got to where I could touch it, I tied it on and did hip locks and shimmies right on the spot. As I took it off and was folding it up to place on the table, the woman selling them asked if I was a dancer. When I told her, "Not yet," and explained about my class, Mecha invited me to join the beginner class that she teaches at the hostess's school when my class lets out and to stop by sometime to observe. 

At church, Elizabeth, whom I had met selling jewelry, walked in the door and finally realized where we had met--right there at South Valley Unitarian. She invited me to sit with her family, and told me that she was in Mecha's class and asked if I would be interested in joining her beginner's troupe, because they had lost a few girls. I told her, absolutely.

Mecha's class is on Thursday evenings, which would mean I would be back to making the weekly Transaction meetings and missing the biweekly adult support group, exactly the thing I was considering the best candidate for trimming.

Anyway, I'm running a little bit behind schedule and need to get to work.

Hugs and God Bless,
Sophie