I tried something new today and for the first time in a long while, I have something fabulous funny to share. I saw an advertisement for a Zumba class at the local park.  The price was right and it was within walking distance so I figured I’d give it a try.  What I heard and saw made me realize that while a lot has changed since I’ve been quarantining, a lot has stayed the same.

I left in plenty of time to walk to the park and scope out the scenery before the start of class.  I know, you’re wondering what someone would need to see before the start of a Zumba class and I don’t have an answer to that question. I suspect neither do any of the other five women I saw nonchalantly circling the park 15 minutes prior to start time.

When I finally entered the park, I quickly discovered many of the people knew each other. I also noticed that I was underdressed and unprepared. I was wearing my $3.97 gray cotton drawstring Walmart shorts, a stretched out white t-shirt with a yellow stain on the front, a pair of old shuffling shoes, and the sunglasses my son found on the street in Nashville this past summer. Everyone else had matching workout tops and bottoms, towels, and water bottles. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, chair tippers go to Zumba at the park.  While they didn’t have actual chairs to tip, they gave you a tip if you entered the space they had reserved for their friend. Yes, the tippers reserved space. No worries though, I didn’t need any tips. I went to the back row and gave the evil eye, through the sunglasses my son found in Nashville, to anyone who tried to come within 6 feet of my Zumba space.

Class began with the big question, “Who is doing Zumba for the first time today?” I had no choice but to raise my hand because I didn’t know how this was going to go. If it went badly, the tippers needed to know I wasn’t in their space by choice. In the end, I should’ve kept my hand down and few others, who didn’t raise their hands, should have put both of them up high. When I couldn’t keep up, I did my own thing, in my own space. I think the teacher was graciously laughing as she watched what was going on the back row with the lady in the white t-shirt with the yellow stain on it. At one point, she gave out a “Great job back row.” I snickered even though I’m sure it was directed at those wearing matching tops and bottoms, towels, and water bottles and in tipper reserved space.

As I walked home after class wearing my $3.97 cotton drawstring Walmart shorts with a butt shaped sweat mark on the back, I realized something. A lot has changed since the start of quarantining, but a lot has not. Introverts still circle nonchalantly, social circles still exist, chair tippers still tip, and I still like to laugh at everyday life because it is fabulously funny.

#SharetheLaughter