I Love People Who Love People!!!

I am finally out of my Valentine/Whitney Death funk. I am back and I have some more light-hearted stories. I love people and see the best in everyone, granted I am not perfect and there are a few people who have no good inside them, but for the most part I love everyone. I do apologize for the past few “Debbie Downer” blogs. I don’t think I have ever been so hurt/depressed in my life till last week. I thought I had found the one who will change my life, and fell in love way to fast, but it was worth it. I thank God for the two really amazing months we had. And as of this moment I still do not know why the passing of Whitney Houston had such a grip on me. I am a hardcore fan of her and was hoping for a comeback from her. Maybe her death gave me an excuse to show the pain of the break up without really showing it, but in the end I was truly sad for both reasons. She was such a talent and had a great spirit about her and so did my ex.

Along my week long bout of depression I was blessed to meet some really awesome, beautiful souls. They don’t know it and probably will never know it, but their life zest helped me get out of my funk and reminded me of how much I do love life. I only spent a few hours with the people I am about to talk about, but they’re definitely worth mentioning.

The Drunken Father and Son

This past Sunday my friend, Staci, and I decided to take a spur of the moment shopping trip to Atlantic City. There we met up with my awesome high school buddy, Nikki. Those two girls had me in stitches all day. Because of them, that was the hardest I laughed in over a week.  We tried on some of the most ridiculous accessories just to get a rise out of each other. We hooted and hollered when each of us came out of the dressing room to model our new perspective outfits (which we bought everything we tried on.)

So after a long day of shopping and stuffing our faces at Ruby Tuesday, we decided it was time for a drink!!! Wild West Saloon here we come!!! Nikki and I were practically drooling over the anticipation of a Coco Blue. The three of us parked our very exhausted asses at the bar and ordered 3 Coco Blues. To our devastation, they no longer made them. Over-hearing our sadness, these two guys (a father and son on a bonding trip) told us to cheer up and bought us a round…simply because they “love people and like to make others happy.” We thanked them and continued to make new friends with these guys. Sadly Nikki had to leave early, although she was the only one with President’s Day off.

Drinks were flowing and the guys kept buying Staci and me drinks, and along the way we picked up the hilarious Peruvian couple. The husband had all of us laughing, but the wife’s facial expressions to everything said had us crying we were laughing so hard. She was gorgeous and had a Sophia Vegara look about her and exactly the same facial expressions. After hob knobbing for another hour the two guys got flagged and we all parted ways. To make new friends with complete strangers reminded why I love being out going. You can never have too many friends.

The Hawaiian Grandma on the Plane

I am always prepared to get stuck next to a boring or smelly person when I take a plane trip. Today was different. I had the pleasure of sitting next to this old Hawaiian grandma who smelled of honeysuckle and roses. We didn’t talk for the first few hours on the plane today (Mardi Gras 2012). We didn’t talk because we were both unconscious due to our butt-crack-of-dawn flight. We slept for about 2.5 hours before some really bad turbulence woke up the entire plane. We hit an air pocket and dropped right into the turbulence. I jumped awake and she let out a little scream and held my arm. Well once you take a dive like that you are not falling asleep again, so we got to talking. She is from the Philadelphia area and was on her way to Hawaii for a 5 week vaycay. We chatted nonstop for the next 4 hours of the flight. I was telling her about my dance lessons and family and she was regaling me of stories from when she was young.  Somehow the conversation about our families led to an ancestry discussion.

I came to know that she is a direct descendant of Portuguese royalty worked her whole life as a test subject for new medications. Sadly she caught an infection from one, never approved drug that destroyed her nerves in her legs and although she can walk, she uses a wheel chair full time due to the pain that has stricken her for the past 25 years. Holy crap! When I heard that I instantly thought “This woman is amazing!” We exchanged info before we deplaned and she has a grandson my age that she thinks we would be great friends. So, yay! New friends within a small time frame. After we deplaned right before I had to book it across the airport to catch my connecting flight, we became Facebook friends. Yup…it’s official…I am a friend to the elderly. She was so sweet and so in love with her family it brightened my day.

The Dance Instructor

The last stranger-turned-friend I will tell you about is my new dance instructor. This New Years I made one resolution and that was to keep my resolutions. I am a free spirit and a damn good person. I will bend over backwards for anybody, but in the past year I felt people were starting to take advantage of that. I realized, at the time, I put my life on hold for others. Although I absolutely love helping and bringing joy to others, I, myself wasn’t as happy as I once was. When I moved on my own I started to do little things for myself. I like to be a well-rounded person and have knowledge and skills in many different areas. I took up blogging, I stared painting again, I learned to bake and cook, and next week I will be taking a class on how to make my own soap…because I feel like it!

My grandparents were champion ballroom dancers in their younger years. I started getting myself in shape, but the gym is so boring, so I decided to take up ballroom dancing…because I am awesome!!! This past Thursday I had first private lesson. I was so nervous and it didn’t help that my instructor looked like a prettier version of Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls. Her energy and positivity had me calm in no time. I stumbled a few times, because I’m white, but in the end I still had rhythm. Within an hour we were chatting like we were old friends. Before you know it she and I were spinning around the dance floor. In just a little more than an hour, she taught me the Foxtrot and the Rumba.

At the end of the lesson she gave me the option to choose another instructor, but why would I do that? She was amazing and gave me the drive I needed to calm my nerves and gracefully float across the dance floor. She told me I am “light footed” (who knew?) and “quite graceful.” After I chose her to be my permanent instructor, she told me that if we trained hard enough, she wanted me to be her partner in a dance competition coming up in June. A little nervous, I asked “Seriously?” She in turn said “Well do you think you can do it?” I responded with “Hun, if I can do Single Ladies, I can do anything.” I really need to shut my mouth more often because right then and there she hit shuffle on her IPod and Single Ladies began. We were in the private studio, just the two of us, and I thought to myself “Just do it. This will get all your nerves out.” I wasn’t even up to the first “Ohh Ohh Ohh” part when she made me stop and told me to hold on. Next thing I know she brought in one of the other instructors and made me start all over again.

I didn’t care I always have fun being me. So I started, and once I got really into it I did not notice till the finish that 5 more people had joined the crowd. With the last “Ohh Ohh Ohh” applause erupted. The room is covered in mirrors and I was so into my craft, I wasn’t paying attention to the growing crowd…then again I never do. I bowed. The instructors laughed and complimented my form, and it became clear that yes, I will be her partner in June. Again, YAY NEW FRIENDS!!! I cannot wait to go back and spend more time perfecting a new found craft and hanging out with new friends…which we all made a date to hang out after lessons next week. Woohoo!!!

People rock…and so do I!!! I am back on top!!!