Poles

I have this aversion to poles.  Yes, poles.  I used to ride the subway to work when I lived in Brooklyn and the metal pole that everyone would put their grubby hands on grossed me out beyond belief.  I had Purell at the ready so that I could totally disinfect as soon as I got off the train and I would be obsessively thinking about how soon I could Purell for the whole ride.  It's weird because I am not easily grossed out by germs.  I totally abide by the 5 second food falling on the floor rule and I will eat in restaurants with a C grade without a second thought.  Come to think of it, maybe it's not that I am just easy going about germs, it's just that I am extra unconcerned when it comes to food?  I guess I like eating....that's another post.

Despite this aversion to poles, I took my first pole dancing class on Sunday.  Yes, pole dancing.  My nanny bought me a certificate for my birthday.  It is her new obsession.  And, yes, it is funny to go pole dancing with your nanny.  It wasn't really until we started dancing on the poles that I remembered that poles totally gross me out.  Luckily there were spray bottles with alcohol and rags to wipe them down - but still, sweaty hands + metal pole = MAJOR gross out factor.

This is what I learned out about pole dancing:
- Strippers work way harder than you may even think for the money.
- The art of pole dancing is super technical and REALLY REALLY hard.  Unless you hold the pole just right, you will get stuck or fall on the floor.  I am covered in bruises.
- Pole dancing is a really hard workout - I am sore in a lot of places - mostly my abs, legs, arms and back.  So - ya.  I am sore everywhere.

I love dancing with Ted when we can because he is great at spins and dips and it is so much fun to get whipped around on the dance floor.  Pole dancing lets you do it to yourself.  I bet when you get good at it, it is really really fun.

I am not sure that it was entirely "for me" but the challenge was enough to get me back in the studio and trying again. Plus, I could probably stand to get a bit of my "sexy back".  Two pregnancies and deep grief can't be doing much for me in that department.  At the end of the class, all I could think about was getting in the bathroom so that I could wash the pole off my hands.  Being a germ-phobe is probably also not entirely sexy but whaddya gonna do?  I used to LOVE getting out of my comfort zone to try new things.  I don't really anymore.  I really love just staying in my comfort zone even though my comfort zone gets really boring.  New experiences do help to remind me that life can still be new and adventurous.  It can be.  Plus, you get to wear 6 inch stilletos - nothing boring about that.