Susan Senator

“My doctor forbids me to push.”
–Sir Topham Hat

With all the stuff I’m trying to do in my daytime life — boy nurturing, loving my husband, teaching, and writing — I have been neglecting my raqs beledi. I think some of the bellylack has been due to my stupid plantar fasciitis (the Latin term for which is Heelus Hurtsus). The doc told me the other day — after giving me a huge painful shot of Don Cortizone right into the most hurted part of my foot — that I should not do anything that involves stomping down on my foot.

But also the bellylack has been due to some degree of listlessness and boredom. I have a great teacher but I still feel in a rut. I wanted her to teach me veil, zills, cane — all the props — but that is for the Intermediate class and she feels I’m still a Beginner. That frustrated me. I’ve been doing this nearly three years and I don’t feel like a Beginner.

So I have not been to class for these various reasons and my dancing has suffered. Tonight I put on my fuschia and silver cossie, the very first I had custom made, and decided to dance without stomping down my foot. All on toes, or standing in one place. Well first of all, I hated the way I looked. It felt harder than usual to stay lifted, so I think I looked kind of dropped. I had lost my progress on my hand circles, and my vertical hip circles looked stiff. Plus my damn foot hurt! Well, okay, my interior hip circles were wonderful, and so was my upper body work.

Now I really ache. My doctor was right!

Nevertheless, tomorrow afternoon I’m going back to class and try to have patience with the process — and with myself. And try not to stomp too much.