Dirty Dancing

 Jessica, her sister Jamie and I use to put Madonna on the tape deck in Jess's living room and make up routines for our living room show. I also remember one time we played the Beach Boys or some other group that did surfing songs and we used the bench to the Prose's kitchen table as our surfboard.  Inovative we were. I had never even seen a surfboard, or the ocean but I was a pro that day. 
That memory led me to the one where my sister Janet and my cousin Deedee did our hair in that awesome 'do we call "the crimp" baby, I'm pretty sure Dirty Dancing was playing in the back ground because it seems like for a period of time that is the only movie females in my family watched. 

Dancing seems to be the thread I'm following here, so go with me to the high school dances at the cafetorium in Ponder, Texas if you will.  I remember being in elementary around 5 grade when the whole school would go to the dances.  My cousin Deedee and her friend would dance in the big group circles, that my friends and I would eventually embrace, and they would let me in sometimes too.  I remember my cousin being at the valentine's dance when I was in fifth grade, around 1988, and was nominated to be the princess.  I think Lori Crider may have actually won, but the point is I remember being so proud that my older cooler cousin was there rooting for me.

Years later it's Jess and I in the big circle dances, and don't remember them being "dirty" in high school but I do think back on them as being nerdy.  Back then, the big thing was to jump around your friend laying in the floor without stepping on them.  Sound weird, dangerous?  I think I stepped on Crystal Patterson's throat at my aunt Emma's house once. 

I wish I had this one picture.  It was taken infront of Jess and Jamie's house before the black and white dance, or maybe it was the polka-dot dance, we all had on blue jean shorts and polkadot tops. (is that right?) We being Jess, Jamie, Crystal and me.  I think Erin was there too, but maybe her shirt wasn't dotted. 

I don't know what got me thinking about hair and dancing, but it makes me smile to remember that stuff.