Dancing Days and Bought Drinks

I realized that I left out something on my birthday remembrance. My twenty-first birthday celebration, which was memorable in it's own weird way.  My friend S. Hatfield (I once discovered that a woman with my maiden name had married a McCoy and this made so much sense as me and Hatfield had such a close, but argumentative at times friendship) took me out to get drunk at Bogies, a restaurant named after the actor. There was a woman there playing acoustic guitar and singing songs and she had a row of girlfriends right up front to support her. Otherwise the place was pretty empty, but that was to be expected as it was a weeknight. I can't remember what my first drink was, but a Long Island Iced Tea was in there somewhere, as I had heard of them and was curious. The women caught on early that it was my birthday and bought me a shot of tequila because you can't celebrate your birthday without tequila, it seems. The singer asked me what song I wanted to hear and I told her "She Talks to Angels" by the Black Crows.  We had a really nice time and I got pleasantly drunk. When we got to the parking lot Hatfield looked at me and he said "You do know those were lesbians, right?" And I had had no idea. It didn't matter. I just felt like an idiot for not picking up on it. So the second drink bought for me (Hatfield bought the first) was by a group of lesbians. And I couldn't be happier.

I love dancing. I can't really do much of it anymore due to the fibro. I hate it for taking that away from me. Dancing made me feel so free.  And it was one of the only things I was ever any good at.  During college the only people in my group who went to the clubs to go dancing were the gays. So when I wasn't working I went with them to this gay club and we all danced with each other to "Rhythm Is a Dancer", "What Is Love", "Be My Lover", and of course "I Will Survive".  I have such happy memories of that place. And of someone who was with us there, who is not anymore.  Of dancing way into the night, free as can be. Of the drag show they had one Sunday night where I saw a reigning Queen who was way more woman than I could be with the help of a thousand specialists. She was truly amazing. But not once did I ever worry about my safety. Not once did I worry about someone coming in with an automatic gun and shooting up the place.

I mourn for those in Orlando.  They did nothing to deserve this. They, like me once, were just there to dance. To be with friends. To meet others. To have fun. To be free as the birds in the sky. This should not have happened to them.  This should not happen to anyone.

Our dead are not dead to us, until we have forgotten them.- George Eliot

   ...and while he did all the actual dancing, I remember whirling around and around the porch those hot 

  summer days so long ago and never wanting to stop.--Julie Reece Deaver (Say Goodnight Gracie)

  Dancing is just a conversation between two people. Talk to me- Harry Connick Jr. (Hope Floats)