I've been subbing with the Boilermaker Jazz Band for almost a year now. Its been a wonderful experience to say the least, and I could go on about singing and music and such but what I really wanted to talk about was something that Paul mentioned a while back.

He asked me how I did it? How I could teach all the time, cause he couldn't imagine teaching music to make his living, he wouldn't want to. You see on one hand we seem similar because we're both making a living from an art that we love, that's rooted in Jazz and the history of it all. We do our thing in the same scene, often seeing the same people. But really our jobs are quite different, and our conversation made the contrast more stark for me. You see I make my living teaching what I do, and he makes his living doing what he, well.. does.

With the band when the night is right and the feeling is there it is magic on stage. There's an energy being bounced around and pushed forward and whipped up between the musicians. They are great at what they do, that's why they like playing together. They are peers making art, and that is all that is asked of them. Even when its not the hottest scene, a corporate this, a wedding that, they are still making what they want between them.

You don't really do that in our dance scene. The equivalent would basically be social dancing amongst a team of peers all night and letting others watch. That's all- and that's what gets me. No classes the next day and no expectations to dance with others, no 3 minute minimums and no privates. Isn't that nutty? And their version of what we do would be to have duet jam sessions with anyone who asked them to all night and then getting their pay from teaching people how to play their instruments the next day. I mean, at first glance it seems like we're in the same realm, but upon closer inspection we really aren't.

Paul kept saying it was a shame I couldn't just make my living off performing, the way he is used to. I've always enjoyed teaching and I think I've gotten better at it over the years. I don't feel unqualified when it comes to traveling and giving workshops. But I must admit our conversation made me think. When pioneers back in the day were living off Lindy Hop it was like the band does now, from performing, nothing more and nothing less. Would I be a better dancer now if I had spent these last years doing what he does in dance form instead of breaking down triple steps? If things could be restructured, would I try for that change?

You see I'm not making a direct living off my craft. Under "Occupation:", I should write "Educator" instead of "Dancer". And the thing is I think I'd be fooling myself to think I'm really "teaching" people lindy hop. Oftentimes I feel I'm not really teaching anyone anything, just trying to point them in the right direction so they can figure it out for themselves. I see a lot of good dancers who think of being a teacher as a status instead of a job, and I guess what I'm figuring out is that being a teacher IS the job.

So all the things that you remember about your favorite high school teacher are the same things that need to happen dance class- genuinely caring about students, being a good communicator, and realizing that it has very little to do with memorizing state capitals/fancy moves and everything to do with inspiring people to learn more on their own, more about themselves. There is a part of me that longs for the dance equivalent of what the band does every night but there is also a part of me that likes the positive things that come from the way things are now. People take and teach classes for so many different reasons but they all tie them to the dance. If things weren't the way they were I think less people would keep dancing.

Perhaps someday a lindy hopper will be able to make it just on performance, perhaps not. Maybe the scene needs this system to keep people moving and trying new things, to inspire them to keep learning. When I look my living and my love I see two things- I teach and I dance, I explain and I express, I break it down and I break it down (hehe) and that's the way things are.

I watched a contra dance this past friday. I played hooky from my own dance and spied on the contra dancers from the lobby of the other ballroom space at Glen Echo. Gretta and I joked that we'd use the profits from our swing dance to pay for our admission to the bluegrass listening, prairie dress wearing event. Besides the cute country boys playing barefoot in the band there was something else that drew us there. Everyone was having so much fun. It was just so nice to see. It was so social. They call lindy a social dance but this was actually a community dance. it was so wonderful to watch because everyone was enjoying themselves so much. It was a soul feeding experience for me just to observe them. You know I think everyone out there wants to move their body around to the music, wants to boogie down for the fun of it. Something in our hardwiring wants us to release the endorphins in the base of our spine by rocking around on the dancefloor. Its our primal urge to move for joy. Looking at our dance floor there isn't as much simple pleasure in movement. We've put all these rules on it, we've codified a right and wrong way so we stay in our brains trying to achieve some technique and miss the fun of it sometimes.

They had these buttons sitting on the front table that said "New Dancer". I pointed to them saying "No one would put that on at our dance". No way. They wouldn't want to look stupid the same way I didn't want to look stupid when I ran outside to dirty up my new white sneakers on the first day of 7th grade. But the buttons were so the other dancers would cut you slack and help you out when you got hopelessly lost in the intricate patterns that were being called. So maybe they'd introduce themselves and you'd know some people the next time you came. How sweet of them to have those buttons, and how brave of people to wear them.

The floor looked a little different from ours. Couples wearing matching tie-dye, sweatbands of all forms, Ren-fest leather booties. All of that was on the floor but you know what was lacking? Judgement. The scathing cafeteria-at-lunchtime type. You know when I went back over to our dance this 'hipster' around my age tried quizzing me as to which of the oldest/dorkiest dancers I'd get with if forced by his back-of-the-schoolbus game. He didn't point to the regulars of course, just some awkward old guys who had shown up for the weekend dance. He thought we'd have this laugh together, I just wanted him to shut up. All I could think was "No one would say this cruel petty shit next door". This guy knew some moves, was big in his scene back home, wore 'cool' clothes and I'd rather go next door and dance with the hippie who looked like Santa Claus in shorts than him. Santahippie loves dancing and isn't afraid to show it, Santahippie would dance with you if you were cool or a dork, its all the same to Santahippie. Santahippie would introduce himself like a human being and invite you to join the contra bonfire after party where I'm sure the nicest of folks get high and dance around the flames. F cool hipster dude! He looks scared when he dances and never tries anything new. Santahippie and I shall ban him from our afterparty hijinks.

So here is the paragragh where I should wrap things up by stating my opinion for changing something I'm not happy about. I think we can do one of two things:

One- Have you ever had a time you were acting too cool for school and looked around and saw that everyone who wasn't was having a much better time than you? Did you ever wish you weren't worried about how you'd look or seem to others so you could just try something new or different? Well listen to yourself for goodness sake and see how silly you're being. You don't have enough time to care what some random jokers think about your triple steps. Plus you're missing out on having fun. And never forget everyone at that dance is a human being whether they're considered good at lindy hop or not.

Two- Only invite Santahippie and his friends to your dance*


*Warning: May result in unabashed good time, copious amounts of tie-dye, and post dance bonfires

Sometimes you read something and it rings so true all you can do it quote it. It won't take a great stretch of the mind to apply this to dancing, or anything for that matter. I've taken the liberty of bolding what I found especially meaningful and omitting a small part. Other than that these are his words-

"A Style should never be like a bible, the laws and principles of which can never be violated. So no matter what propaganda has been spread throughout the centuries, a classical style comes about as a result of a human being. Of course, being human beings, there will always be differences with regard to quality of training, physical makeup, level of understanding, environmental conditions, likes and dislikes, and so forth. Consequently, most classical styles were set up and accumulated from someone's chosen inclination under the circumstances.

The founder might be exposed to a partial truth, but as time goes by this partial truth becomes a sect, a law, or -worse still- a prejudicial faith. Furthermore, in order to pass along this "knowledge" from generation to generation, the various responses has to be organized and classified and presented in logical order. So what might have started off as come sort of personal fluidity on the part of its founder is now solidified knowledge, preserved and packaged for many younger generations as well as worldwide mass distribution, as well as mass indoctrination.

Because of the nature of organization and preservation, pretty soon the means become so elaborated that tremendous attention much be given to them, and pretty soon the end is forgotten. Of course, many more "different" styles would spring up, probably as a direct reaction to "the other's" truth. Each claims to possess the highest truth to the exclusion of all other styles. When one wants to study the tree, is it not futile to argue as to which single leaf, which design of branches, or which attractive flower one likes? For when you understand the root, you understand all its blossoming. By the way, plastic plants might look pretty- that is, if you like dead things.

The professed cure of a classical style is itself a disease. A style "sets" and "traps" partial reality into a choice mold. As a result, its practitioners are being enclosed within the style's limitation, which is definitely less than their own potential...

Freedom is something that cannot be preconceived, and fluidity is definitely not resisting the natural unrhythmic flow with one's partial set pattern. Remember that partial preformulated partiality lacks flexibility to cope with the ever-changing totality. Many different "stylists" have become desensitized, patternized robots. They become those organized forms, victims of conditioning handed down for thousands of years. A martial artist is never a replica of "this" style or "that" style. He is definitely not a product but a live individual, and remember, the individual is always more important than the system."

-Bruce Lee

In lieu of a regular blog I'm going to redirect you to an interview I gave a little while back about dancing. Its been split into four parts, and I think they're on the third by now. Anyways, it says a lot of the same kind of stuff I would post here, so I hope you guys enjoy.

http://danceprimer.com/

...That Sweet Soul Music

So recently, slowly, surely there has been a late night trend amongst us dancers to unwind a bit and move to the super motown jams of the soul era. Aretha, Otis, Sam, James, Marvin, Al, pick a name and pick a tune and everyone is singing out loud with a smile on their face. In fact in the midst of one of these evenings I looked around and wondered-

If I have a fun dancing to this stuff 98% of the time its playing, then why do we only play it 5% of the time?

I mean there could be a hundred follows to every lead, I don't even need a partner, I could be dog tired and beaten up, and the room could be a hundred degrees, but you turn on Sam & Dave's "Soothe Me" and its like I've consumed snake oil at ye olde county fair. I'm cured. I'm revived. I'm soothed.

Soul music is this grand equalizer. Your Grandma likes it, your 3 year old niece likes it, your 12th grade government teacher likes it, and heck they can't all be wrong. Its like the best quality wedding music you can imagine, it makes everyone dance, so everyone has a good time. Can you picture a wedding sit-down concert? Of course not, every human wants to use their body to express when they feel joy, and that music just makes you feel good, thus it makes you want to move. What better thing to have at a celebration, a party, than dancing and straight up good music built for it.

Perhaps what I like about this late night anomaly is that in the realm of this different sound there are no rules, or less rules, or bent rules at least. You can't break down youtube clips to know what is safe to do to these songs and I like that. Its a little freer than the average lindy hop, there is less movement dogma involved, and thats something I think everyone in today's scene could use.

So the answer to my earlier question is arriving in a little over one month, in the form of the first ever Swing and Soul weekend, being held in Atlanta, GA December 7th-9th. 100% good music built for dancing 100% of the time. Not only am I shamelessly plugging my good friends' great idea, but I personally wouldn't miss it for the world. You'll be able to spot me on the floor. I'll be the one dancing with Grandma, singing at the top of my lungs, and passing out the free shots of snake oil. Hope to see you there.

Wow, I'm in the strangest mood on the eve of Showdown. If I were a hermit and oblivious I'd probably feel fine but words get around and the internet creeps up on you and you can't help but hear things you wish you hadn't. Like how people who you're competing against are focusing on, instead of doing their best, doing better than you. They're having team meetings strategizing your downfall and building routines for the express purpose of beating you. How strange, and gross, and sad. It makes me feel mixed up, resentful at first and then deeply grateful.

My initial reaction to the gossip is that it makes me not want to do it, to do anything. I don't feel like dancing with ill will and negative energy shooting at me. I feel like we're just trying to throw something together that we can be proud of and they want to tear it down. F that, go ahead and win everything. It doesn't make you any different than you were yesterday and it doesn't make me think differently about your dancing. Take all the fake wooden plaques and crappy keychains on ribbons and put them in a big pile and try your best to think you've accomplished something. Go on, win the race that is lindy hop.

Don't these people see what they are doing? Giving things power and meaning which they don't inherently possess. What can a plastic trophy do? Can it make your feet faster, can it make more people ask you to dance? Can it magically make you love what you see when you watch yourself dance on video? No, its a fucking piece of plastic, it can keep papers from blowing away and perhaps be recycled into a soda bottle. What has a title ever done for me by itself? Nothing, it never helped me touch my toes, or stay up late and help me make costumes. If I twisted my ankle on the dance floor could my Nasde points call 911? People have given words- titles- value, which in turn made them treat me differently but the trappings and labels themselves never had intrinsic power and they never will.

When people dance to beat someone else they are dancing for their opponents, cause everything they do is held in relation to those competitors. When this is the case they are giving the opposition power over them, by letting it set a standard by which they judge themselves. They let it determine their own worth so they end up dancing for them and not themselves. I need to hold on tight this weekend to the idea that our team, we are dancing for ourselves. Not for the spoils of some outcome, but for the enjoyment of performing, for our esteem of each other, and for our love of lindy hop.

How can I ever express my appreciation and respect and awe I have for my friends and teammates. They are my comfort amid this disillusionment. They are my reminder to hold onto what is important to me despite the impending craziness this weekend. Why are we doing this in the first place? With all the hype and animosity it is easy to forget. We're bothering with all this because we actually enjoy it. We enjoy creating something where there was nothing before, enjoy expressing ourselves as best we can. We're trying to make something we are proud of whether it gets first or last place, or never sees the light of day. For goodness sake, we don't even know if we'll have enough practice time to get our shit together. Its hard enough putting together a team routine in the first place without feeling like folks are out to get you.

The thing is- I am so very grateful, not just for my teammates but I'm trying my best to be grateful for the people whom I've spoken of as well, the ones who have given others the power to determine whether they themselves are good or not. I know there is something to be learned from all this nonsense and for this lesson I can be thankful.


Love what you do,
create something with pride,
and
always
dance
for
yourself.

Last night I had an interesting conversation about the finale of this season's SYTYCD. As some of you know, Lacey, a west coast swing dancer, drew lindy hop as one of the styles she'd have to perform. I was telling my friend that, as a lindy hopper, if I had drawn West Coast Swing from the hat I would be so happy, it being close to my comfort zone. He said he thought it was easier to go from lindy hop to west coast than the other way around. It was funny, I had never thought of one being a tougher crossover than the other. He explained there were certain inborn qualities in our dance that aren't present in its offshoot. Certain movements would of course come naturally, but anything in the charleston realm, with its inherent bounce, would be a challenge. I said there were definitely some innate qualities to West Coast that are hard for us to adjust to as well, and though I wasn't sure I could agree with his idea when it comes the the "nature" of our dance, I could agree when it comes to the "nurture" of our scene. I think some lindy hoppers (those that started in the US about 6 years ago or earlier) are more exposed to west coast than the other way around. We're more culturally familiar with it so perhaps it would be an easier crossover for us.

I remember a time, just a year or so after I started (around '99/2000) when all of us were passing around Carolina Shag clips, and then a few years later (around 2001) when we were pretty west coast crazy. The majority of big events we went to were crossover competitions, not lindy hop only, and I remember all of us crowding in to watch the other divisions. Nowadays, on the rare occaision I hear tunes such as "September", "P.Y.T", and "Don't Cry On My Shoulder" it seriously takes me back to when it was typical to play certain west coast or shag songs at lindy events. I used to wonder if shaggers sat around watching "hellzapoppin'" for inspiration, or if west coasters would squeal with delight when their dj mixed it up and put on "cottontail", somehow I seriously doubt it.

I think some of our fascination was recognizing the great things about those styles, but I think part of it was stemming from a feeling of inferiority. I recall being at big comps with all the other dance styles and feeling like lindy was the red headed step-child of the bunch. We weren't as polished or professional, we didn't have the presentation or prestige the other dances seemed to have. To many of them we were raggamuffin kids who wore jeans and sneakers in contests, who bounced around a lot, who danced to old stuff. Keep in mind all those things were true. If you look back at the level of our dancing you'll see that, in general, it was on the low side. At most crossover events "champion" level lindy divisions didn't even exist. I think we really looked to those other styles which generally had a high level of technique and thought we had a lot to learn from them. And although I think that we did, I think we started aspiring to their standards and aesthetics. If you watch videos from big comps in certain years its obvious to see the influence that these other styles and their judging systems had on ours, sometimes to a point of pandering. I'd love to just say "Weren''t we so wonderful and open-minded and versatile?" but I think consciously or not we just thought they were better than us.

I think the "old school" trend that began a few years back- a push for faster tempos, a raw quality, an authentic flavor- was a true result of lindy hop pride. I think we started believing we were worth it, that there was a validity to what we did and the way we did it. We started latching on to elements that were pre-offshoot. Is it any wonder that when the pendulum swung back we saw more charleston, heard older music, started dressing vintage, and became interested in things like cakewalk and peabody and tap (all of which have there roots pre-20th century). We were trying to get back to the ingredients that made lindy hop lindy hop. We were gaining more technique and presenting ourselves with more polish but doing it our way. We were proud of our dance which was a wonderful thing. And slowly over time everything in our culture came into a narrower focus. We made ourselves a priority and cut the rest out almost entirely. Nowadays most of the events I go to are completely lindy, west coast and shag organizers ask me why none of us come to their competitions anymore, and I haven't heard "September" in eons (I kind of miss it).

Maybe its because I was in my "sponge" phase during those years, or maybe its a recognition of different but awesome qualities, but I have a sparkly place in my heart for west coast and shag. I miss seeing what those scenes were doing and creating. I miss getting to dance with some dancers from those styles. I will be the first one to commend lindy hop pride, but that doesn't have to equal lindy hop seclusion. I worry that pride can lead to blinders, keeping us from seeing all the dancing around us, not just west coast and shag but beyond that to the myriad types of movement out there. I don't think we necessarily have to fuse things or change our values. We still can and should be lindy hoppers. Perhaps back then we were open to other styles cause we didn't believe enough in our own, but our dance culture was more broad and receptive, which was a positive thing. Now that we have more self-regard for the nature of our dance and a higher skill level we shouldn't forget the benefits of keeping an open mind. There's something to be learned everywhere you look and with every style you see. I believe some of the current really great dancers who started back then are in some way the dancers they are today because of the nurture of outside influences.

I think that keeping an open dance-mind can make you a better lindy hopper and a more versatile dancer, not to mention a strong ass contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance".
Oh and also, just fyi, dancing to "P.Y.T" is fun as shit, you should try it sometime.

My mom came to Herräng first week (earlier blogs) and sent me an email once she arrived safely back in DC. She told me that on the way to the airport the two volunteers driving were having a discussion about "who were the number one dance teachers in the world, and dissing the many campers who do not know the worth of...". And that brings me to subject I want to discuss- the hierarchy of lindy hop.

The hierarchy of lindy hop is a self-enforced system. It asks you to buy into a mentality that some people are worth more because of their skill level at dancing. It lets a person's reputation as a dancer overshadow their actual selves.

The first time I came to Herräng I wandered into the tent area looking for familiar faces. There's this greeting mode that folks get into at most camps/competitions- the 2 minute pleasantries, the hugs and exclamations about your new haircut, weight loss, or significant other. And I was ready for it but I think after yelling out to people I got just a few waves. It was different and strange- no special treatment. I went out to the dances at night and worked in the ice cream parlor during the day and through the course of being here I started meeting people. In almost every case there was no preconceived notion about who I was. "Hi my name is Naomi" preceded a conception about me as a dancer. It can bruise your ego or it can free your self. I can't tell you how many times at other events I've introduced myself to someone and they've said "I know", or they haven't given me the chance to even do that, they say my name cause they know it not cause we've met. They take away the human interaction that normal people have with one another.

I have a friend who isn't a bad person she is just completely immersed in the hierarchy of dance. She found out a girl from Europe was visiting a guy from her scene, the two had met in Herräng. I remember her saying "Him? He's nobody. Why would she want to visit him?". I just shook my head at her, and smiled at the beauty of this place. No, that guy is not the best dancer, but he came here a few years back and threw himself into it. He acted in funny skits in the talent show, he stayed out dancing every night, he was a character around camp. He was himself and not his triple steps and rock steps. You see, the set dance status that people wear around their necks back home dissolves when you get here. For some who are used to special treatment it sucks, for others its confusing and they treat it for ignorance of dancers' true value. I think it can be very honest- to be known more for who you are than how you do what you do.

The thing about Herräng is you can show up and be the best dancer in the whole camp and very few people will give a shit cause that's not what this place is about. I have a theory that most of the people giving a shit are from back home. I can spot the Americans in my classes, I can tell who they are when we talk. They give me the benefit of the doubt before class even starts, they take it as a given that I get certain privileges around this place. It can be nice for your ego, and I think some dancers/teachers expect and enjoy it at varying degrees. It always tempting to buy into the hierarchy when you're a benefactor, but once you buy in you get hooked on yourself. Your dance value in the eyes of others gets tangled up with the esteem of yourself. If I start to believe my own hype then I'm always working for someone else's approval. I stop relating to people as people, and start relating to them within this system. And what about when the time comes that my dance value goes down, the hierarchy has its 15 minutes of fame, your stock can rise and fall very fast, and people's memories are short. When that happens do I stop liking lindy hop, do my friend's stop caring about me?

Herräng is great for many reasons, but its lack of the standard lindy hop hierarchy is a big one. Yes there are folks who stand out in camp but its because of what they give to this place, not because of some point system. Coming here reminds me to not believe the hype, to give my ego a rest, to always reach out my hand, say "Hi my name is Naomi" and know that that's enough.

Here I am once again in Sweden, living and loving in the Herräng bubble. This is my first day off since arriving and being driven straight from the airport to my class a week ago. It feels good to sit in the makeshift "teacher lounge" (yes that's singular, broken english pervades the sign-ige here), listen to Todd practice the tap he learned today, stare at the rain and mosquitoes through the window and type away.

So my mom came to Herräng, took classes for a week, and not only survived it but enjoyed it as well. She went swimming in the lake, had dinner at the marina, and, as Todd attested "danced up a storm" a few nights. It was awesome to have her in my class a few times. I looked over while the music was playing and there she was singing out loud to the song, just feeling it. And then I see her messing around, doing footwork that looked familar, this little heel toe riff. I felt this feeling that parents must get when their kid shows their genes. Recognizing the same mannerisms, the same expressions. I had this bizarro reverse mother-daughter moment in the middle of Beginners/Intermediate, I couldn't stop smiling. A few days before her departure we're sitting in the little cafe on the second floor of the main building when she starts mentioning which cabins she wants to rent NEXT YEAR. Can you believe it? She's thinking of coming out mid June to take in the countryside and then rocking week 1 again, and then who knows. By 2010 my mom and I may be sharing teacher billing, she's certainly on a roll. It was great having her here, and I'm glad she had a good time.

I must cut the blog short. Dinner is only served half an hour more, then its on to the all camp meeting. Dancing should be good tonight as Todd is playing some of the tunes. I'm sure I'll write again soon.

Mothers and daughters both know- there's no place like Herräng.

Last weekend at Camp Jitterbug I had the pleasure of being part of a lunchtime lecture about "pushing your dancing to the next level", whatever that means. We ended up talking a good bit about what got us started and what inspired us along the way.

When I started dancing there where "old timers"- original dancers from the swing era, the teaching/cool dancer set- about 15 years my seniors who had apprenticed the old timers, and the rest of us- fumbling around and having a great time of it. So there where dancers to watch and marvel at, but they were in such a different place altogether. There wasn't one set example among the younger group of what was "cool" and "right" for us to do.

What I realized from talking about it was that we were so free when we started almost ten years ago to make the most ridiculous and horrid mistakes. To go through these embarrassing growing pains, to go to the extreme of things and let the pendulum swing back the other way. I think many current day lindy hoppers who haven't been around as long would balk to see footage from 2001, scratch their heads at 2000, laugh out loud at 1999. Sometimes I scratch my head and laugh too but there's a love there, I understand we had to go there to be where we are today. It all gets woven into the fabric of the current scene. I think it would be different to start dancing now, to have such a dogmatic example to follow. Maybe that's why I watch contests these days and see so much of what is "cool" and "right"- already tried and tested by others, and not a lot of venturing outside that comfort zone. And here is what really concerns me: what if
no growing pains = no growing

Its like we were in middle school back then (not far from it actually) and one week we'd show up with our hair dyed pink (Nina reference), and the next week we'd wear bedroom slippers every day, and the week after that our nails would be black and we'd hate the world. Growing pains are a good thing, they may provide some embarrassing class photos, but they help us figure out what our true style is, who we are and want to be. Right now I look at the dance scene in middle school form and almost everyone is wearing the exact same god damned ensemble straight off the urban outfitters mannequin and its driving me kookoo.

Why are only a handful of young dancers innovating? Maybe cause there are only a handful of dancers in a certain mindset. They are willing to try something different if thats what they're feeling, and this is the important part- they are willing for it to not work out, to look dumb, or to come in last place, as long as they are proud of it. They are willing to look at that 7th grade class photo/dance clip and say "what the hell was I thinking?", and then smile and shrug and know that went into making them individuals today.

So take out your middle school yearbook, dust off the cover and find your pictures amidst the pages. Cringe a little and have a laugh, and know that that time was good for you. Don't be scared to not follow the self-enforced blueprint of the current scene. It may work, it may not, I can't promise you anything except that there will be less baby-fat and voice-cracking involved. No, but seriously, you're better equipped then you were back then, you can already move around, and you may look pretty good doing what's tried and tested, but its time to step out of that. I've got some shameful stuff on video but I can laugh at myself and love it for what it was. Plus, trying different things when I was less able to express them makes me think that I could try different things now, do a better job of it, and not be "wrong".

So when it comes to your growing pains just remember: rain or shine, all the time, we've got each other sharing the laughter and love.

I couldn't resist.