Getting old and giving things up
Wednesday, March 1st, 2023 07:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
joyfinderheroLast night I realized I can't dance as long as I used to, or even the way I used to.
Back in the 90s I square danced regularly for several years, but sometime in the 2000s I got "too busy". This year I started dancing again. It's been fun, and fulfilling. I don't remember as many of the calls as I'd like, but re-learning Mainstream and Plus has felt interesting and challenging enough not to be bored.
Early in this first class I signed up to go to a major continental convention.
I just canceled that trip. It's obvious that I can't dance all day, and won't have developed that kind of stamina between now and July. When I bail out on class and leave early ... When I can dance just three tips in a row -- total 45 minutes, with two 2-minute breaks -- and then have to sit down ... Well, traveling halfway across the country to spend $1000 on a hotel room seems like a lot to do for about 3 hours of dancing over 5 days.
It feels weird to be 'knowing my limitations' like that, though.
Much like giving away my iceskates, it's another moment of recognizing things I may never do again.
Back in the 90s I square danced regularly for several years, but sometime in the 2000s I got "too busy". This year I started dancing again. It's been fun, and fulfilling. I don't remember as many of the calls as I'd like, but re-learning Mainstream and Plus has felt interesting and challenging enough not to be bored.
Early in this first class I signed up to go to a major continental convention.
I just canceled that trip. It's obvious that I can't dance all day, and won't have developed that kind of stamina between now and July. When I bail out on class and leave early ... When I can dance just three tips in a row -- total 45 minutes, with two 2-minute breaks -- and then have to sit down ... Well, traveling halfway across the country to spend $1000 on a hotel room seems like a lot to do for about 3 hours of dancing over 5 days.
It feels weird to be 'knowing my limitations' like that, though.
Much like giving away my iceskates, it's another moment of recognizing things I may never do again.