Is there something you use to like to do, but you are not doing anymore?  Maybe it’s painting, photography, sculpting, even hiking or just walking in the park.  I started losing my passion, years ago. I use to love to dance. When I  was two years old, my mother took me to ballet lessons. As I got older, my uncle who was a dance instructor, taught me the twist.

My father’s family, especially my aunt and father have always loved to dance.  When I was growing up, my grandmother lived with us. In the evening, she would pour 1/2 of a glass of red wine and 1/2 water.  Soon she would be dancing to the music, then I, my sister and brother would join in.  It was fun dancing with my grandmother.

She would put her hands up in the air and twirl around, this way and that way.  The music would be loud and we would all be clapping and dancing. As I got older into my early teens, I would go dancing with my aunt.  We would usually go to a fair,  where they would have live music. I remember one night they had a tribute band, that played the Bee Gees music.

Here I was 14 years old, dancing to disco music with my aunt. We were dancing the same dance steps, as in the “Saturday Night Fever” movie.  What a fun night we shared.  As I got a little older, I would sneak out at night to go to dance clubs.  Nothing bad happened to me, but I did learn a lot of dance moves.

I got into break dancing for a while and even was able to moonwalk like Michael Jackson.  After that, I stopped dancing for about 10 years. When I moved to Hollywood, I started to go out dancing again.  I have always wanted to be a dance choreographer. I feel so free on the dance floor, I loved it.  Sometimes, I would go dancing on Friday night and Saturday night.

One year, I went to Sarasota Florida on vacation.  I decided to go to a night club one night, to dance. I start dancing, as I turn around, there are about 5 girls dancing around “Doogie Howser!” Neil Patrick Harris is  dancing, right next to me!  That was a fun night to remember.  While living in Hollywood, I would occasionally, drive into Mexico.

The Mexico border, was about a two-hour drive. Some weekends, I would go with friends to Tijuana Mexico, so we could dance. The main strip had about 30 clubs, across from each other.  We would dance until 4 a.m., then go outside to find a street grill, that was serving bacon wrapped hotdogs. Spending weekends, in Mexico was a lot of fun.

A few years later, I moved to Northern California. As I got settled into my new place, I forgot about dancing. I have not been to a night club for a long time.  It amazes me that something we clearly love, can one day disappear, like it never happened. A wise woman once told me, “if there is something you like to do and you stop doing it, you could be depressed.”

Recently, I have found my love for dancing again. I love Zumba!   I love the dances, the music, everything.   If there is something you use to like to do and haven’t done it in a while, now is the time do it. So, go and find your dusty camera, forgotten tap shoes and lost paint set, it is waiting for you.