A dear friend of mind was concerned for me because of the amount of time I’ve been dancing lately:

Sunday: Tribal – 2hrs
Monday: Rehearsals – 2 ½ hrs
Tuesday: Technique Classes – 2 ½ hrs
Wednesday: Tribal – 1 ½ hrs
Saturday: Occasional workshops &/or classes – 2 ½ hours

That’s five days a week and a total of 11 hours some weeks. My friend’s concern was if I was spending enough quality time at home with hubby. I asked hubby. He said he’s happy that I’ve remained committed to dancing and that I’m so passionate about it.

I know that there isn’t any malice intended in my friend’s query. She is only responding to how much time I spend dancing. It has become a huge part of my life.

Hubby was a little concerned for a different reason. He’s concerned that I’ve been pushing myself after just recovering from my knee injury a short while ago. Again, time is the question. Did I spend enough time healing before jumping in and dancing again? My knee feels fine, though I have had an occasional twinge of pain.

I have my own concerns. It’s becoming harder to balance this enthusiasm with the realities of my life as it’s currently structured. I’m not happy when I’m not dancing. I want to dance more than anything else, including work. Is that obsessive?

My lifestyle seems like an old skin that I want to shed. I want to spend my time differently now. I want to rebuild my daily routine, simplifying my life, chance my diet, and make more space for dance. My daydream is to be a gypsy and live out of my suitcase.

If I were a professional dancer or athlete, my dance schedule would seem light. If I were younger, this wouldn’t even be an issue. If I were single, no one would care how often I danced.

But I’m not a professional dancer, so I’ll need to continue to work at finding that balance. I can’t turn back the clock, so I’ll have to take extra care not to injure myself. I’m not giving up my husband, so I’m really blessed that he’s so supportive.

The only time we really have is now. So I'm going to enjoy every minute I can dancing. When I’m even older and more time has passed, I hope I will be quite eccentric, fearless, and full of life. And still spending time taking many dance lessons.