And so, you know what we need? We need some coping skills.
We need to acknowledge what our comfort zone is and then promise ourselves to jump right on over the edge of where our comfort zone ends and adventure begins.
Dancing is one of my coping skills.
I try to dance at least once every day, but I make it a top priority to dance every single Sunday. It ends the weekend on a fun note and begins the workweek with some energy.
Some people like background music, maybe all day long. Not me. I hate any sound at all when I am working. But when it’s time for music, I am a blaster.
When I drive, my music blows the car doors off.
At home, it rattles the windows.
That’s pretty much how I live my life … either semi-comatose on the couch or way out there on the corner of spontaneous and inappropriate.
Then I was thinking about something I loved from my childhood that I haven’t done in years. Roller skating!
I was in love with the loud music and the lights at the roller skating rink. But also some big milestones occurred for me there. After a lively game of shoot the duck a boy put his arm around me. I was awkward and embarrassed. But at the same time I felt like a grown woman.
A few Saturday nights later my first kiss occurred during couples only skating. It was a sweet little peck on the mouth, and I believed I was practically married. I was 12 years old and he was 14, with a little bit of peach fuzz above his upper lip, which made him a man in my book.
The following week though, I caught my soon-to-be “husband” kissing another girl, a girl who got much more on her mouth than a little peck. And she was also old enough to wear mascara and boobs. Thankfully I was a much better skater than he was, so my mix of scorned and great skating ability led me to accidentally on purpose trip my cheating fiance a couple of times until I got his deceitfulness out of my system.
So anyway, I have been thinking about all the over-50 stressed out people like me who need to turn the volume up high enough to block out the worries.
I am inviting you to become a Rowdy Wrinkle with me.
Our first no-stress outing will be from 6-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29, at the Franklin Skate Club, 2680 N Morton St. At the door tell them you are a Rowdy Wrinkle and your admission and skate rental is a flat $5.
Put on your dancing shoes and show up at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at The Sycamore at Mallow Run, 7070 W. Whiteland Road, Bargersville. They do charge a $10 cover, but it is a beautiful, spacious venue. We are dancing and laughing and being young again for the evening, with music provided by Tastes Like Chicken.
Mark your calendar right this minute! Join me and over-50 stressed out people for both of these activities, OK? We need some much-deserved fun.
Sherri Coner is an award-winning journalist and humor writer who speaks to women’s groups. To learn about her books for women and to join her on Facebook, visit www.sherriconer.com.