So You Think You CAN'T Dance?

It's been a great week for So You Think You Can Dance fans like me. We got to see small-town sweetheart, Tara Jean named Canada's Favorite Dancer, and now we get to see the US Season 6 top twenty twice this week. Everyone who knows me knows I love the show. It's not that I have delusions of grandeur when it comes to my own, very limited dancing ability, but rather, I am inspired by the contestants' dedication, confidence, and seemingly effortless grace under all that pressure. I can't imagine what it must be like to be that strong, flexible, controlled and talented, and am amazed and delighted week after week.

I'm writing this entry to encourage you, esteemed readers, to get out there and start doing the things you want to do. You don't have to be perfect. You don't even need to be that good. How many times have you said to yourself, "I'd love to learn how to _______, but I'd be so bad at it." Isn't that the point of taking lessons and practicing -- to get better? And ultimately, who are you trying to impress?

Take up a creative hobby, start writing in a journal or blog, join a sports team (you may wish to assess the degree of competitiveness first), go out and sing karaoke. You're not getting any younger, and if any of these things are appealing to you, then now's the time to give them a try. Really, what do you have to lose? A little pride and self-consciousness, perhaps, which seems like a good deal to me.