It's Story Time once again.....

Summer is winding down.....VBS is over....and all the hard work of preparing, planning and going to Royal Family Kids Camp is all done. I feel like I have time on my hands, like I have time to spare, like I have time for a ....Unicycle Story!

This is the story of my first date. I was in the 7th grade and was invited to the junior high dance. First of all, I was thrilled that somebody actually asked me to go to the dance,(short, chubby, glasses, and acne described me well) and even a little more excited because I had been taking "dance" in gym class. Have any of you ever taken "dance" in gym? It was great! We would all stand in the hot, sweaty gym, in our P.E. uniforms (remember them???!)and listen as our coach yelled out "Hand on hip... Hand on shoulder...1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and..... oh I remember it well.

The week before the dance, I remember my mom asking me if I wanted her to show me how to dance. SHOW ME HOW TO DANCE??? "Mom, I learned how to dance in gym class, what more could you show me?" I assured her, that I knew how to dance and would not need any instructions from an OLD person. Oh how those words would come back to haunt me!

It was Saturday afternoon, and I really don't remember getting ready for the dance at all. In fact, I probably spent most of the day at my friend Patti's house, like I did most Saturdays. I don't remember making many plans on how we were getting to the dance, what we were going to wear or any preparations at all. The only thing I do remember practicing, is saying to myself.....1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and... I was so ready for this dance.

It was 7:00 o'clock and I was outside eagerly waiting for him. I looked down the street......and then I looked again...and again....the kid was coming to pick me up on his unicycle!! For those of you who don't know, a unicycle is a bike...with ONE wheel and ONE seat! I thought to myself, "where am I going to sit?" I soon found out that I wasn't going to "sit", I was going to "run along" beside him! (Remember short, chubby??) We finally arrived at the school, hot....sweaty...and barely breathing.

Once we got inside of the NON-AIR CONDITIONED gym, I took a few minutes to catch my breathe,drink some punch, eat a few cookies and secretly smell my under pits. After I took care of all of that, I started counting in my head again....1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and...... I was finally ready to dance!

He was standing against one wall, and I was against another. He walked over to me to dance. I still remember thinking that this was the most romantic time of my life! My heart was beating fast, I was sweaty and I was stinky, but I was still counting in my head...1 and 2 and 1 and 2 and....and then it happened!

I grabbed that kid by his shoulders and for the next 3 minutes, I literally pushed him around the gym floor! All the while I was still counting, OUT LOUD, one..two..one..two...one...two. Poor kid probably thought he had joined the army! I saw other couples gingerly, softly, swaying back and forth in the corner, arms around each others waist. Around their WAIST?? Didn't they hear the coaches yell "Hands on hip...Hand on shoulder??" I must of been the only one that listened, because I was the only one that was dancing the right way...and I was proud of it!

The kid held on for dear life, while I made 12 complete laps,(perfect ovals) around the gym floor for the entire song. I still remember the song that was playing, Slow Dancing, by Johnny Rivers. The song says "Slow dancing, swaying to the music..." Not us...we were were not slow and we definitely were not swaying.....1 and 2 and 1 and 2. It was years later that I learned that I was suppose to be counting to a beat....not counting to an army march!

After that dance, our one and only dance of the evening, we went our separate ways. I stood by the wall with the girls and drank punch and ate more cookies. Inside I was secretly gloating on my dancing techniques!

I waited a few minutes after the dance got over for him, but couldn't find him. I started to walk home alone....and then pretty soon I heard him peddling...and huffing and then his voice...

"Come on Kathy, run along beside me!"

Oh good grief....here we go again!