Embracing Dorkdom

All I can say is TGIF.  This week has sucked as has the last few weeks actually so I keep holding out hope that next week will be better.  I had to have my car fixed on Tuesday and then I had to stay home with my sick daughter yesterday.  As my dear hubby pointed out earlier today, I found the worst way to put together a 3 day workweek ever.  Well, anything worth doing is worth doing right. 

I have my first Zumba class tomorrow.  I'm so excited!  It's not really Zumba, it's called Latin Heat at my gym.  I asked the guy if they had Zumba, he said yes and pointed to the Latin Heat class on the schedule.  I asked him if that was the same thing and he said it was.  I'm taking him at his word.  I've heard fantastic things throughout these blogs about Zumba so I'm hoping (1) this really IS Zumba and (2) I like it.  I already know I'm going to look like a dork and I'm OK with that.

I've been thinking a lot about this whole "looking like a dork" thing.  I'm not sure if I'm the only one who still uses the word "dork" but roll with me here.  Throughout my whole life, my biggest goal and what I wanted to accomplish more than anything in the whole world, is not looking like a dork.  It doesn't seem that difficult right?  When I was 6 years old, my parents took me bowling for the first time.  My feet were so small, I had to bowl in socks because they didn't have rental shoes that fit.  Did I suck?  Yep...at first.  But later, I joined leagues and played tournaments and won trophies and all that good stuff.  I tried softball without ever picking up a bat or glove in my life and loved it.  I got very very good at it.  Was I worried about looking like a dork then?  No.  I was 8.  When I was 14, I went tubing down the Salt River (as you get older, this becomes drunken stupidity) in a BIKINI!  That was the first time I ever looked at myself and said, "Oh geez. I hope I don't look like a dork."  And there it started.  I've been worried about it ever since.

So one of my goals for this year is to stop worrying about being a dork.  In fact, I'm going to embrace my dorkdom.  I think it's a law when you become a parent that you become a dork.  I remember always thinking my parents were dorks and I often wondered why they didn't care they were dorks.  I sure cared they were dorks.  So...in the spirit of embracing my dorkdom...I'm trying Zumba tomorrow and I'm going to go all out and not worry about how I look doing it.  I'm also going to try rock climbing.  Not REAL rock climbing but like going to a rock gym.  I have a friend who does this and I think it sounds like a lot of fun.  I asked her if they have a weight limit (I'm sure they do so I need to research this) and she told me not to worry about it.  Obviously, this is someone who (1) has never been overweight and hasn't feared not fitting into a "standard harness" before or (2) has never worried about looking like a dork.  But so what if I look like a dork trying to climb a wall?  If it's fun...I'll just keep practicing until I don't look like a dork anymore.  I also want to try kayaking.  I like boats and water and I figure it's a good workout.  My mom went kayaking once and pretty much paddled herself in circles.  Did she look like a dork?  Probably but eventually she straightened out and was able to actually paddle somewhere.  I think part of what kept me away from the gym so long was worried about looking like a dork.  If you think about it, this obsession is pretty self involved.  As if ALL these people are worried about the dork on the treadmill.  Whatevs.  I am dork...hear me roar!

With that, I leave you with a Friday Funny.