Day 2 - First Love

When I first read the challenge for today, I was not sure exactly what I wanted to share. When I did the other challenge, Day 2 also dealt with love. Instead of the first love it was on 9 Loves. I looked back at it to see what I listed as my 9 loves. I wanted to see if I wanted to write about any of those. I decided not to write about any of them.

So back to the drawing board. As I am typing I am still torn about which direction I want to go. I have 2 different ways I can go with this one. Let me ask you a few questions. When you think of your first love, do you think of a person? If so, when is it considered your first love? The first boyfriend you had way back in junior high school? The high school boyfriend? Is that puppy love? Does puppy love count? Hmmm If you say none of that count, then is it the college boyfriend? Or does it not count until you are grown and on your own?  I know too many questions! Now you see why I have been toying with what I wanted to write.

As we grow, we realize our love to love and what it means changes and deepens. I have what I considered my 1st boyfriend which is different than who my family considers my first boyfriend. During high school, I had 2 boyfriends. Even after we broke up, we remain friends. When I go home, I usually speak with them and even see them if schedules permit. During college, I had 2 boyfriends. (Now I know I just shocked many of the college friends with that one!) Again, I can pick up the phone and talk to either one. Well, I have to definitely talk to one since he is 1/2 responsible for Baby Bandit. LOL.

So with all this talk, I still have not talked about MY FIRST LOVE.

My first love is actually not a person but a thing. I fell in love with dancing at the age of 8. My mom wanted me to have something to do after school. The first year I took modern dance classes on Wednesdays. I loved it! The next year she added piano. I think I only did it for a year maybe two. However, I stayed dancing until I left for college. You could not tell me I was not going to be the next Debbie Allen.

By the time I was 11, I was teaching my own class with lesson plans and evaluations required at the end of each session. In addition, I was taking classes on my own. During the summer, I would teach up to three different classes at multiple locations throughout the city. I was so dedicated that I would catch several buses to get to some of the locations. When I had to decided between dance and basketball, I gave up basketball in order to keep dancing.

During high school, I was good enough to dance with my church's adult dance troupe. I was the only teenager allowed to dance with them. It was definitely an honor! We performed several times including dancing at the Karamu House, a historic arts center and theatre.

Once I left for college, I stopped dancing. I remember telling people I use to dance but most did not believe how much I danced. My class college roommate, Chan, knew I danced but did not realized how much until I opened up a big bag with all of my old leotards and tights. I had them in all colors - black, white, blue, red, yellow, burgundy, etc. They were from several performances.

Even though dance is not a person. However, I do miss it. I want to slim down and pick it back up. Now I don't want to hear, just do it. Um....yeah right. All of this is not going in anybody's leotard! Never gonna happen, Captain!