The Challenge
It was a typical Saturday night on the midway.
When I finally got my dinner break. I had found this one
really good food joint that had awesome salami on sticks.
They were deep-fired chunks of salami that were dipped in
the same type of batter that they used to make corn dogs.
Squeeze some mustard on them what a tasty snack.
I was walking down where the food joint had set up this week,
when something caught my eye. On one of the Himalayas very
fast and popular midways ride. They always played the new
sounds that were out.
On the platform was this young guy dancing to rock and roll
that was blasting the midway. He was wearing a black T-shirt
that said "The Dancing Machine" on the front, on the back it
said "Watch me dance I'll put you in a trance".
He was damn good and quite a crowd was standing around watching him.
He could move his body in such ways that it did put you in a trance.
He had Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul moves. He kept up with
the beats of the rock and roll, I was totally memorized by his
movements. I stood there for quite a while watching till I had
to get back to work.
Later I got to take another break and I wanted to see if he
was still there.
I figured by now he would have tuckered out. He was still there
going at it better then ever. I was totally amazed at the size
of the crowd that he had captured. Cheering and roaring when he
did one of his little special twirls.
You thought he was going to fall right off the small area he had to
move on.
The crowd would go crazy when he did the robot and he moved in
such a fashion that he had to be the best live dancer I had ever
seen.
As the music was switching to a different beat this old guy walked
up to the platform. He stood there watching the kid do his thing.
Then what I witnessed next was so cool and the challenge was on.
When the song finished the old man stepped onto the platform.
He stood there a little while. The kid just did a little look
and the old guy tipped his hat. When he placed it back on his
head he tapped his right foot three times,
Then he stood there looking at the kid with his arms crossed and
tipped his head.
Well of course the kid replied with tapping his left foot three times.
Then as he tipped his hat. Then old guy tapped his right foot
three times again then his left foot twice, then crossing his
arms tipped his head.
Of course the kid replied three times with left foot then twice
with his right. The crowd was going nuts, the squealing and howling was filing
the night air. I know the whole town could hear them roar.
This went on for like thirty different steps back and forth.
Then the old man would do another one and then the kid added a
few to his. The old man would replay and kept up with the kid's
just as well. So cool the battle of the tapping feet. Then I think
the old man figured it was time to show the young whippersnapper
what he could do.
He just went off into his own little world, cutting loose.
You could see by the smile on the kid's face that he was amazed at
the steps the old man was doing. Standing there with his arms
crossed just tapping his feet and bobbing his head in admiration.
Then the old man showed all of his knowledgeable talent. The
faster he got the louder the squeals escaped from the crowd. I was
clapping and yelling right along with them. It was unbelievable the
things he was doing with his feet. Then all of a sudden he just
stopped.
The kid stood there bobbing his head and then when the old guy turned
around crossed his arms and tipped his hat once again.
The kid just stepped back and bowed.
Then the old guy placed his hat back on his head turned to the
crowd and tipped his hat to all of us. He had such a sense of
style that made all of the
people just cheer and clap and you know a lot of hands were hurting
that night.
As he climbed down the stairs the kid just stood there with his
head still bowed in respect for what had just happened. The crowd
just parted and let him make his way through. Showing him their
respect as he walked by tipping the heads to him.
Such an uplifting thing to watch, age showing youth they can still
teach us a thing or two. Witnessing something like this was
definitely one of the coolest things I had seen the whole ten years
I was on the carnival.
Well the kid I'm sure learned a thing or two also. When he was
challenged by age and showed the beauty that still can live in it.
©Sunshinegirl
3-28-02
