Ballroom dancing is progressing.  We had lesson #2 last night.  First we went over last week's lesson as an overview and realized we were practicing the rumba wrong.  When we finally got that straightened out, we were actually feeling good about our dancing for the first time since we started dance lessons.  Still have gads to learn though. 

Instead of hearing from the lips of my frustrated husband "you owe me big time for this"  I heard this week, "if you don't stop, I'm quitting."   This was his reaction to my prodding him to keep going every time he stopped when he shouldn't have.  I found myself doing exactly what the leaders tell us ladies not to do. 

 "Don't take the lead.  If he doesn't lead, just stand there until he does" they repeatedly tell us. 

 I guess I'm not very good at just standing there and instead find myself pulling him forward when he stops.  I've got to work on that.  LOL   The problem is if he doesn't get going, we are going to be in the way of the people behind us, which I can see plainly.  So I instinctively find myself pulling him forward to hurry him along.  He gives me the knowing look. 

That instinct must have something to do with the admonition to Eve, from God himself, way back in the garden of Eden.  God forewarned her to let Adam do the leading.  He promised her that her desire would be to lead but that she was not to. His plan for them was better than any she could dream up.   Sigh.  I guess Eve hasn't learned totally still today even after all these years.  We, as her daughters, are still pulling our husbands along and the poor guys get totally frustrated even to the point where they don't want to lead anymore.  Who can blame them?   I wonder if Adam and Eve danced in the garden?  I'd love to be the fly on that apple tree. 

Instead of looking lovingly into one another's faces, we're arguing dance steps.  I thought we were the only ones in the war zone, when I initially glanced around the room, until later when my friend Mary told me, under her breath, her husband wasn't leading correctly.  She was frustrated with him.  I'm starting to think this is the main problem.  What we ladies don't seem to understand is the husband has a lot to think about on the dance floor.  We have the easy part.  We are to follow his lead,  but he has to think about the next step before he takes it.  With awkward hand and feet action going on at the same time  as quick/slow tempo there's alot on his plate to consider.  My husband keeps saying aloud as we go along...slow, slow, quick, quick...slow, slow, quick, quick...

At one point, one member of the dance police came over to tell us that this dance we were doing was supposed to be very sensual and seductive.  What was she trying to tell us?   She encouraged us to take smaller steps and remember the sensuality to the dance.  Well that's hard to do when you're arguing while you're dancing.  So after that, we were laughing more than arguing as we tried to get into the dance.  My husband, bless his heart, was trying very hard to be sensual and seductive and it just wasn't working very well.  The harder he tried, the more I laughed.  It takes some getting used to I suppose. 

We had pickleball lessons on Saturday and it went much easier than these dance lessons.   We were both the best players on our perspective teams having played here and there the last two years just for fun.  I played with the ladies and he the guys.  We are supposed to go on to Pickleball 102 next so we'll see how that goes. 

Next week will be our third dance lesson.  In the meantime we'll be practicing the Rumba and the Foxtrot with gusto.  Afterall, we're going to have to work on that sensuality thing if we're going to be any good.  That means, we sure have a lot of work to do.  I'm starting to think dancing with your husband is sort of like wall papering with him.  Only the strongest marriages survive.