Dance Your Dance Princess

“We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams.” ~ Anonymous

As I was waiting for the subway one day a woman was dancing all by herself in the corner.  She had earphones on so clearly she wasn’t crazy but like Charley- she was breaking out of the mold of “normal” subway behavior.  She had on a black baseball cap and black, shiny jacket, and it was clear she  had to at least be in her late 50’s or older.  When the train finally pulled up she continued to dance her way to a seat.  Once in the seat she “wooted” and the young men also in our part of the subway car started cracking up noting how awesome she was.  

“A person needs a little madness, or else they never dare cut the rope and be free.”              ~Nikos Kazantzakis

It’s interesting- break out of the mold and people will perceive you one of two ways: crazy or awesome.  In this case since she showed understanding that she was purposely stepping out of the mold (she acknowledged the looks by wooting towards the guys, doing a little dance in her seat, and looking at the guys and telling them “I’m Princess”) they all felt she was cool.  

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.  ~Cheers Theme Song

I couldn’t help but observe her during the ride and was amazed that more than one person knew her on the ride in.  The more I observed the more I realized she was most likely going to class at a college and those who knew her were most likely classmates also on the same mission of attending class.  However, of those that greeted her some did actually get off at other stops.  I wondered at the fact that if it were sheer coincidence that they were meeting up on the subway either she knew a LOT of people or else she had met them on her commute home prior to this day.  I have NEVER met anyone that I knew- granted I live pretty far outside the city of Boston but still- as I observe people on the T no one else has ever had that many people greet them.  

It’s been weeks since that day but I can still see her, at her end of the T platform listening to her music dancing her heart out.  I wonder if I’ll ever learn to break out of the mold or if I’ll continue on in the basic T rider mold: book/newspaper, earphones, and bored look.