Do you accept me now?

Going contra dancing made my cheeks hurt. I smiled the whole time I was there. I couldn’t believe how amazing the atmosphere felt. This experience opened my eyes to a new way of fun. Our society doesn’t accept difference well at all. To do anything, we have be specially talented or skilled in an area. We don’t do things for the fun of it anymore. It was nice to be around a group of people with the intent to just enjoy themselves and connect with the people around them.

Contra dancing was fun thing to experience. I had no idea that it would be so easy. Being there I felt connected to the people. I couldn’t stop smiling because I was enjoying myself and the company of the people there. At times I felt a little uncomfortable around some of the men and even some women. The closeness that I endured with these men made me feel uncomfortable. Some would put their hands to low on my back or look right into my eyes. Instead of freaking out, I just smiled and thought, “This is normal for him”. It is normal for them to be so close to one another. It is the way they connect. Some of the women were aggressive because they knew what they were doing and I didn’t so they looked at me like I was an idiot. I tried not to dwell on it and just keep enjoying it. I messed up and felt good about it. My advanced partners made me feel better about my ability. They would help me and not make a big deal out of my mishaps. Overall the atmosphere made me feel like I was on cloud nine because there wasn’t a judgmental sense in the air. 

I would definitely think about going again. It was an experience that I could learn from. The people there were so happy with the company of their friends and even strangers. It just makes me feel good to know that somebody isn’t judging me when I mess up, instead they want to help. This isn’t just in contra dancing, but in life as well. We don’t to be judged every time we mess up, we want someone to help us and show the way. I think that we have lost sight of that in America. We’re so stuck on making money and finding the next big thing that we look over the people that want to learn or get better.

Participatory music and participatory social action can cause greatness. Both can bring together a group of people that normally wouldn’t hang out. For instance, contra dancing last night; a group of senior citizens wouldn’t want hang with a bunch of college students. But in this situation they enjoyed our company and our conversations. These kinds of situations can allow us to break out of our comfort zones and do things useful with our time. We can learn about different types of people and their situations. Participation environments open up doors for acceptance of difference. When we start to understand others we can start to understand things about ourselves. Sometimes it takes the understanding of another person’s life to open our eyes to what we have. We’re fortunate enough to wear the clothes we wear every day, where as someone in another country is struggling to keep up with the trends. It’s always beneficial to participate in activities in our communities. It allows us to connect with the people we live with. Going to the Bloomington Farmer’s Market helped me to connect with the people in my community. It was especially beneficial for me as a freshman in this crazy world. I had the opportunity to meet people and learn about different aspects of Bloomington. Our schools try to instill participatory values in children; however that soon is forgotten once we hit high school. In gym class it was mandatory that every student participated in the day’s activities. It allowed the children to make new friends and stay fit as well. But in high school and college the only time students are participating is if they feel good enough to join in on the fun of their peers.

All in all, I have learned to accept people and their values. Participating in events like contra dancing allowed me to see a different side of Bloomington and get to know the people in my community. It makes living down here easier to be connected to people outside of the campus. I felt like the environment at contra dancing was awesome. Even the venue was perfect; it was a community recreation center for youth. The money was going to the venue to help them. It made me feel good about myself to put money on somebody else’s pocket for a good cause. In participatory activities it’s easier to make friends. No one is expected to be mean or rude. I did feel uncomfortable a few times, but it’s only because in my world people don’t dance that close in each other’s faces. It’s normally an informal meeting. Sometimes we don’t even talk or see each other’s faces. In last night’s adventure I talked to so many people. I met different people with different personalities. It always feels good to meet new people. I enjoyed myself and learned a very valuable lesson; judge less and smile more.