I think my life is just bally trials and tribulations, and my kids that are always wanting to make things better for me, sometimes landed me in situations that were traumatic to me, and hilarious to them!
Irma was dancing and singing in a new production for the arts theatre, and when I told her how bored I was, it could not be higher or lower, I had to attend the tap dancing classes that Evelina, the woman producing the play was holding, both to get people fit, and also to get them into shape for the play. I tried my best to get Irma to forget about me, but no, the next Thursday she was at my door, complete with a pair of Kristani's tapping shoes for Mother!
Try as I would, Irma was adamant that her mother were going to tap dance all her boredom away, and I just sat in the car and saw in my minds eye the bally figure I would present, as I knew my abilities!
Arriving at the theatre, where we were to practice on the stage, I was warmly welcomed by everyone, and Evelina told me not to worry, as I was not the only beginner! Bah! What she never told me was that the other beginners had been at it for the past month, twice a week!
So, she got the group all doing the tapping thing, then she took me, and showed me the basic steps. Then she went on with the group while I practiced the steps she showed me, but I got pretty badly tangled up, and by the time it was my turn for attention, I was just about in a state of hyperventilation. Evelina told me not to worry, and we tried again, and then, just as I was getting into the swing of the thing, she shouted at the top of her voive: 'Jeeks Irma, your mum is a fast learner!' Nearly fell flat on my face from shock, as I was not unintelegent, but that I was okay at tapdancing, and picking it up easy, no!
After giving me some more practice time, she incorporated me into the group, and I must say, the steps and things were not so bad, and if my body was just a wee bit more springy, I believed that I would tapdance in a short while, as I kept up with the others, just making a booboo now and then.
Then Evelina told everyone to stand back, as she wanted me to tap from the one side of the stage to the other so that she can see where I needed the most help! Oh my good heavens!
After inhaling and exhaling laboriously a few times, me, that is, Evelina started clapping rhythmically, and off I went! The first few steps were ok, but the nearer I got to the middle, the more the stage wobbled and swayed, untill it went up and down, shuddering and sighing dangerously, while I, like a huge and heavy bally elephant, careered thunderously across it! The group, plus Evelina was stunned, but I knew all along that I would never dance across a stage as lightfooted as a fairy, as my family just were not athletic!
But Evelina was not put out at all, saying that she had never had a student who learned the steps so fast! I just mumbled and grumbled at Irma, who was just a wee bit white around the gills, and when I told her the next Tuesday that I was not going, she didn't put up too much of a fight!
However the time did pass, and before I knew it, I was all packed and ready to leave!