You may remember from my Dancing Black Duck post that my love for dancing was rekindled in a major sort of a way. Since then, we have all danced together, danced with the homeless, and danced for fun. Well, there’s another place I love to dance, and that’s in the car.
I bought a new car a while back, and after driving it off the lot, I was pleasantly surprised that it had an extremely high-end sound system built-in. I’d never cared about car speakers before, and so I didn’t really look at them much while I was out car shopping. But… dang. I’m a fan of good car speakers now. The first time I cranked it up, I started laughing as the car bounced slightly, the mirrors vibrated and blurred with each downbeat, and the back window jiggled. I took out the Silly Songs thumb drive and cranked up some Lady GaGa. And then, I danced.
I began dancing almost anytime I was driving alone. In all honesty, it was near-impossible not to with that kind of sound filling my body. It didn’t matter where I was, or where I was going. I loved it, and still do.
Occasionally people look at me like I’m possessed. I don’t care. I dance in my car anyway. The majority of people either don’t look or pretend they’re not looking. The rest of everybody starts smiling or laughing. Some people start dancing along in their own cars.
It sends me back to the time when I was driving with my cousin (and other friends) in college and we started car dancing anywhere we went. We always made it our goal to get others to dance with us in their own cars. There was one car in particular that we kept side by side with us for a few miles, coming up with new dances and laughing at their dances. We did the “shopping cart,” the “lawnmower,” and others. The driver in the other car did her own. She had to have been at least sixty. The laughs we had during that drive still make me happy.
I’m sure there are people who hear my car thumping and think I’m an A-class idiot. I’m sure there are people who think I’m trying to “look cool” or “prove something.” I just look at them, smile, and start dancing. You’d be amazed who dances back sometimes.
Dancing is my release. And good music coming out of good speakers makes dancing a thousand times better. Maybe ten thousand times.
Dan Pearce, Single Dad Laughing Dancing
PS. Do you dance in the car? Do you ever make up silly dance moves that involve everyday activities? What do you think when you see somebody dancing in their car or you hear loud music?
Nice post dancing in the car
Have not read it yet but the car and the shower (tmi?) have always been my favorite places for dancing and singing like a rockstar- I am proud to say I have passed this trait on to my daughter. (the car and the shower are also my top choices for crying, yelling, praying, and other tantrums...maybe tmi but it's meant as a recommendation...although not with kid in earshot- that could be scarring...which I am for but only when she's a teen and it's funny...)
I totally dance in the car! Sometimes the kids dance with me. Sometimes they pretend they don't know me - I think it depends on what song I'm dancing to. :)
http://troismommy.wordpress.com
Also on college car fun: we used to excitedly wave to people making them think we recognized them- expressions were priceless- try it...you'll like it ...I promise.
Okay, now I've read it :) Music is best when it makes you move...weather the rhythm moves your body or the lyrics move your insides- I always wish I were gifted with music because I love it so freaking much I'd like to add to the "dialogue" by making some (that might sound weird but you know what I mean right?). I mean I sing only when nobody is listening or to kids (who never judge lol.) I also mean I have a guitar in the corner of my room that has been tormenting me (working up the nerve to fight that battle which seems to require more patience and...finger-tip skin than I am willing to sacrifice.). I have considered dance classes in the future because I find so much release in dancing. We shall see. Anyway, dancing a lot even in the car has health benefits too :). Especially if you drive a lot...that's a lot of sitting- a body in motion is a happy body (or so I've been told.)
Dancing and singing at the top of my lungs is a MUST in my ride. And you said Gaga. You effing rock.
I dance in my car on a daily basis! People stare, laugh, and smile. It's all ok with me. I'm not dancing for them, I'm dancing because the beat of the music or the lyrics of the song reach deep into my soul and I can't help but "bust a move"!
I sing and dance in the car if I'm alone. Usually, my thirteen year old daughter tells me to stop singing if she's in the car with me. Sometimes she sings along though.
I'm also a big fan of chair dancing in my office.
Nice to know I am not the only person out there who likes to car dance. It totally embarrassed my children but that makes it even more fun!
I dance when I cook. Food makes me happy. Fun music makes me happy.. and I dance when I'm happy!
And when I'm at work in my swively wheely chair :D Yay for the DMV chair-dancing lady!
Single Dad Laughing, how do you find time to accumulate all these wiseish sayings ?
I am a ballet mum. We put the CD from class in and she does the steps in the car. Sometimes I get a whack from the port de bras but hey it's all fun.
That would be "Men Without Hats". I dance in the car too
He was one of the first voices crying in the wilderness if you like.
George the Apostle.
Yep- Dance all the time..... sing too! Not sure I am good at either, but I dance all the time. Especially when I have to clean or do a big job in the house- crank the music and sing & dance along... With my kids we have -drop everything and dance- time all the time. They will tell you our living room rug is our "dance floor" and are very upset if there is anything in the way on the dance floor. I think it is the cure to ANY grumpy day, stress day, or just to have fun. I love that you enjoy dancing too- it's good for the soul!
@JenniferLaneHatley "I think it is the cure to ANY grumpy day, stress day, or just to have fun."
I agree, though sometimes I forget it when I need it most. I need some way of reminding myself to dance when I'm too stressed to think about anything else...
Year ago (and when I was painfully shy), I was given the nickname "Slinky" because I could NOT stop moving to music. Back then I hated the nickname, but today it's pretty much impossible to see me standing (or sitting) still anywhere around some good music. :)
"....without a song or a dance, what are we?...." Abba :)
I LOVE that song!!
Atleast you are enjoying your life and living it to the fullest. I enjoy it too unfortunately I have a tendency to speed when I do it so not a good choice for me.
These Men are without hats. Love it!
You mean Men Without Hats.
Some of my friends don't dance, but that is ok. They express themselves through their art or by playing music - things I can't do but I can admire their doing.
And it's not Men at Work, it's Men without Hats ;)
This is from my era, lol. One of my favorite things on youtube is literal videos and there happens to be one for this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZaiB9jYCxI
I can see another post arising from all these replies... "If you want to drive your readership insane, mistakenly attribute a quote to the wrong person..." :-)
Oops men at work singing a men without hats song! Lol
as a mother of a young one and a teen, dancing in the car is a must! The little guy enjoys it and likes to join me and the teen will curl into a fetus position rocking back and forth in humiliation.... needless to say my job as a mother is complete after every performance :)
Peeing my pants picturing
....Thank you guys for making my day with a great laugh! :D
Men At Work and Flock of Seagulls....BAAAAHAAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!
The Donnas cover this song also. It's pretty good check it out....
Love the quote but the band is "Men Without Hats":)
My friend and I have a "stop-light challenge" in which we wait until the stop light to dance as crazy as possible and then when it turns green, act like nothing happened. It's really fun.
That's great :) I almost started dancing in the shower today (had a bouncy song stuck in my head), but after the second step, the logical part of my brain decided it would be better to get off the slippery surface before moving around like that :D It's hard to sit or stand still when you've got that rhythm.
My daughters (one in particular) likes to wait in the car for me while I'm in Walmart or wherever. (Yes, she's old enough to be left in the car) Not that she doesn't like to shop, but she likes to car dance even better. She cranks up the mini van stereo and gets her groove on! The looks she gets from people in the parking lots is awesome! She also does the dance thing while we're driving, but the parking lot is by far the funnest!
I car dance ALL the time!!! and during the Christmas season when the song "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" comes on the radio, my daughter ( who will be 22 tomorrow!) and I will pull the car over, park, crank the volume, roll down the windows so we can hear the music, and dance around the car, singing at the top of our lungs!!! we live in a really tiny li'l town, and we get some odd looks, but then people realize "oh, it's that weird Derksen woman", and wave as they go by!!!
sorry to nitpick, but that's not actually Carlin. it's Nietzsche. still a great quote, though!
(my fave song to cardance to is "accidentally in love" - it's so happy ^_^)
We used to call it chair dancing:)
Oh my word I do this!!! ^_^ So happy to see I'm not alone!
I dance and sing in the car all of the time. My 3 and 5 year old now join in the fun. My husband just laughs and smiles at us :) My favourite part is when any of the songs from our Just Dance Wii games come on and my 5 year old and I are doing the moves in our seats. We've definitely gotten some looks a few times, but it's so much fun that we don't care!
realmente agora é que acredito quanto mais velha pior lol continua assim beijo
I love dancing while jumping on my trampoline!! Crazy? Yes!! But I love it!!! :)
Totally love car dancing! I'm pretty sure I'm borderline train dancing sometimes! Its hard to restrain myself...
I would totally dance in the car next to you!
i was in the car singing along to the radio, and caught the eye of the guy on the other side of the road singing along to the same song! We pointed at each other and laughed as we passed each other. nice moment. i think we were singing "Walking on the Sun."
Robyn, I concur! This was an awesome read! We dance/drive all the time and it's always a blast to make others smile or dance along! The sprinkler and "puttin' on that seat belt" are our favorites!