Shake Your Booty!
I’ve just had a few difficult days wondering what I was doing, and where my life was going. Also, I was thinking, “Who am I to talk about being outrageous? I certainly don’t feel it!” I was alone, had just finished dinner, and decided to watch something I’d downloaded from TV. It was a tribute to a singer and songwriter named Smokey Robinson. His music (known as the Motown Sound) was the soundtrack of my 20, 30s and beyond.
During the evening many different performers sang a variety of Smokey’s biggest hits and hearing all the great songs made me feel good. Actually, I started to feel great! Then after Smokey had received his award, and given his speech, he loosened his tie and started to sing.
And he sang the one song that really has touched my heart from the very first time I heard it over 40 years ago. It’s called My Girl. It was a huge hit, performed by the Temptations and released in 1965.
As I heard the first few bars, and without realizing it, I was up, out of my chair, and dancing! I felt like a million dollars. I still had the right moves… even though I was wearing sweat pants and a baggy sweater! I felt sexy and desirable. I not only heard the words of the song, I felt the passion with which Smokey was singing it.
As I was twirling around my living room, at midnight, with the music blasting in my headphones, I felt alive again! Any doubts I had about what I was going to do and where my life was going, vanished. I realized that if I can get up and dance my heart out while I’m alone at midnight, I was going to be OK. I still had some outrageousness left in me!
When people get down, and start feeling blue, they do a variety of interesting things. Some are useful, some aren’t. Some turn out to be fun, others don’t. I had forgotten how powerful music can be, for me, because certain songs evoke fabulous memories for me. And, more importantly, certain music makes me feel. And, that feeling is one of being alive; ready to tackle anything, and looking forward to the next adventure. There’s always an adventure around the corner. Some I help to create for myself, and others just happen.
I’d like to say a huge “Thank You” to Smokey Robinson for creating some amazing songs. And, it was delightful to see the audience, most of who were in their 50s, 60s, and 70s. There were a lot of politicians, as well as the movers and shakers in Washington, DC. Everyone was singing along and shaking their booty in their seats. I could tell by the smiles on their faces, that they too, were reliving the soundtrack from their lives, and loving it!
Now, music may not be what helps some of you “shake your booty”… look it up if you don’t know what I mean. I’ll give you a hint: It can mean more than dancing energetically. :-) The reason I’ve mentioned my little dancing exhibition (alone at midnight on a Saturday night) is that it was reminder to me, that I’ve still got lots to do, and lots to be happy about. And, it’s time to let some of my outrageousness come out and play… again!
My question for you is: What shakes your booty? Or, another way of saying that is: When was the last time you did something just a little outrageous? And, if you’d like to share it with the rest of us, I’m sure we’d love to hear about it.
