Dancing

Growing up, I was shy of dancing, in public presence. No wonder one of my childhood pet names was pappu. Pappu_Can't Dance Sala. That shyness, I think, came from being somebody. Even a small child has already developed an acute sense of personality, and that, I think, more than anything else, is the reason for the reservation. In childhood, the fear of looking awkward, clumsy and being laughed at, stopped your feet. At that time, these words were not there in my mind, but the fear was.

Once in a while I got pushed onto the dance floor, courage took center stage, but I didn't enjoy it as much. When you dance with somebody, for somebody or in front of somebody, that is a performance. Performance by default has consciousness associated with it, I think, and that is not real fun for a non-performer. 

As you grow up, the inertia builds, the desire to move yourself to the music gets pushed into a corner.

Yet, over the last few years there have been times when I've danced free, to my heart's content. And  I understand this about dance. It is an activity which lets you forget yourself, if you let go and immerse yourself. The very act of matching yourself to the beat, the melody, the words, sets you free even if only for a few moments. 

Obviously, if you live on ground floor, that helps.