My New Theme Song

Last week I took advantage of afternoon nap time to work on some hand sewing projects. I stretched my legs out, poured a nice glass of iced tea, and turned on the TV for some background noise. You can imagine my joy when I stumbled upon an old episode of "Soul Train." Delightful!

You see, when I was a wee thing my sisters and I would often go to my grandmother's house for a Friday night spend-the-night party. The highlight of the night was getting to stay up late enough the watch "The Tonight Show" (you know, back when it was actually good). And if we were extra good--and if Mamaw got her second wind--we could talk her into letting us stay up a little later to watch "Soul Train." Now we were avid watchers of "American Bandstand" on Saturday mornings. That's where we got most of our moves. But "Soul Train" was an extra special treat. For three very white girls living in the suburbs, this was our glimpse into urban living...and we loved it.

So if I happen to catch "Soul Train" on, I have to stop what I'm going and hop on board. Toot! Toot! And sometimes, rather unsuccessfully, I have to fight urge to get a little funky. Let's be honest here: If I could have a dance party every day of my life, I would. I have years of material from old episodes of "Solid Gold," "American Bandstand," and "Soul Train" in my dance repertoire.

And don't even talk about "Dance Fever." I was once nearly rug burned beyond recognition when, after watching an episode, my older sister and I tried to orchestrate a lift and spin move of our own. We were fabulous.

You can imagine that when this song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgaZYgIEc6A) came on, I brought the funk. I had to have that funk. Now. And I assure you whatever dance moves you start busting out when you see this will look exactly like what I saw on "Soul Train." I learned a new dance that day, called "The Cracker Jack," from a fine young couple from New York. (He said he was in med school, and she was majoring in psychology. I would love to know how the funk propelled them to greatness in the medical field some 30 years later. I mean, I would pay double to be treated by anyone who created a signature dance called "The Cracker Jack.")

This dance and song have forever changed my outlook. Whenever I start feeling funky (like that), I try to pull myself up by my flared corduroys and get funky (like this). Who doesn't love a song called "Gotta Get Over the Hump" that features a hallelujah chorus? Granted, I'm sure some of lyrics are little less "30-something stay-at-home mom in suburban Jackson" and a little more "20-something oppressed urbanite living in Civil Rights era Chicago." Ok, a lot more. But I think Simtec and Wylie would agree: We all have our humps. But we'll get over them. (I think I want to dance.)

Haaaaal-le-lu-jah! Haaaal-le-lu-jah!