Swing your partner

How would you like the opportunity to learn how to Swing dance?

I, for one, think it would be SO. MUCH. FUN. Who wouldn't want a chance to Jump, Jive, and Wail with your honey?

I'll tell you who....

My fifth grader.

This kid woke up the other day to the fear of having to learn how to swing dance at school. It's the current P.E. unit they are learning for the next couple of weeks. When I tried to convince Nick how much fun it was going to be, all he could think about was how he'd have to ask a girl to dance. He was mortified. Nothing I said was curbing his fear. My comforting words were falling flat. So...finally... I settled on telling him he should probably choose a girl who is, shall I say, petite. One that would be easy to swing around the dance floor. he agreed and went to school with butterflies in his stomach.

Later that night, he confided in me that swing dancing is not for him. He said his stomach was in knots all day long. I asked him about what girl he asked and he said "I was so nervous I just took the last girl that was left." "She was not short." "But we managed." I think the fact that he's in a class with six grade girls just made this whole scenerio ten times worse for the poor kid. Do you remember sixth grade girls when you were in school? Remember how they tower over the shrimpy boys at that age? I'm sure he did fine, he's a coordinated young chap. And what little girl wouldn't want to dance with such a handsome sweet boy?

He's counting down the days when this section of P.E. is behind him, I think he'd rather run the mile run. In the rain. Without shoes.