Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
In the wake of these past few weeks of feeling "hoodwinked" (my new favorite word), the one thing that I always had to look forward too (aside from of course, the unconditional love of my 3 dogs and one lazy 17 pound cat) was my S classes.
Most of you know, some of you don't that I have been taken Sheila Kelly's S factor..pole dancing classes on Wednesday nights. I know..WHAT? But trust me...I am always searching for something new to do and after 4 sweaty, hard core training months leading up to the tri..thought that I needed to get back to my feminine side, so thought that I was going for a 180 degree turn...something a little easier and less "hard core" trust me...I was only half right..read on.
Sheila Kelly is the wife of actor Richard Shiff of the West Wing. She is also an actress and while studying for a role in a movie..came across this "movement" as she calls it. So, she started teaching friends and then created studios in a few cities across the country and so on and so on. And thus, the S Factor was born. 8 levels (if you choose to continue taking classes) 2 hours per week. I signed up after my intro class because I...fell in love! So much so that that last weekend I installed a pole in my living room and am still wondering what my new neighbors across the street are thinking. The pole is an awesome daily reminder that I am a strong, independant woman who can still be just as sexy and sensual at 37 as I was at 17 :)
Each week in class, we spend 1 hour doing floor work which includes too many abs for my taste but then tons of fun stuff like the cat crawl, hip thrusts and the goddess..and this past week...the t shirt stip. That is right, I can now take off my shirt...while thrusting my hips all without missing a beat..and let me tell you..it's hot..and when I look around the dimly lit room at the other girls of all shapes and sizes..they are Hot! These classes are amazing and ultra liberating.
After the floor work, we move into 30 minutes of pole practice. We have learned the firefly, the ballerina and the half pint so far..and I have surprised myself at how easy the tricks come. And then after the pole, we move into 30 minutes of our routine. The routine consists of all 12 of us doing the same thing..some on the wall and some on the pole..and at the moment when we all, at the same time, slide down the wall or pole, If only for a moment, I am SURE that I am pussycat doll on stage in Vegas.
I cannot imagine my Grandma's generation even considering something so out of the norm..I cannot imagine her telling her friends that she was taking pole classes...but I bet if she could have ..she would have!
We have come so far. Women are getting married later (if at all), having kids later and staying out later. The days spending all our time being a housewife and having dinner on the table at 5 is not longer the norm. We spend our time shouting from the rooftops demanding to be heard, breaking through the glass ceilings that stopped so many before us and being supportive rather than critical of eachother. Complimenting and congratulating rather than hating and hurting eachother. We know the difference between wrong and right and walk the line carefully yet with our head up high because we would rather ask for forgiveness than permission.
And, for the first time since the beginning of time, we came closer than we have ever been to having a woman run our country. And whether you liked her or not, that is an amazing thing that almost happened. We are important, we are equals! And we have learned that it is okay to be proud of ourselves, to KNOW that we are pretty, or sexy and we have learned to take a compliment by smiling rather than blushing. We are enough just as we are. Plain and simple. We are enough!
Thank you Rosa Parks for staying seated.
So Pole Dancing? YOU BET!
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