During the years when I took a leave of absence from teaching line dance starting in July 2023 and subsequently stopped writing a monthly article here in February 2025, I also distanced myself from going out line dancing. I made that decision because I felt burned out from teaching for 30 years and realized that I simply needed to step away from the whole scene.
Since I accepted the offer to teach at a special event in January 2026 (please see last month’s article) I realized afterwards that I still didn’t have an interest in getting as involved with line dancing as I previously was for all those years. Line dance was an integral part of my life for so long; I recognized that I needed some reflection to determine what was going on in my heart.
During what I will call my ‘soul searching’ years, I purposefully didn’t reach out to the number of people who I previously stayed in touch with on a regular basis. Rather, I appreciated the few who remained in contact with me. At one point, I stumbled upon this quote, which spoke volumes to me; unfortunately, I don’t know the author:
“Pay attention to who checks on you when you go quiet. It’s easy for people to love you when you’re available, talkative, and pouring into everyone around you. But the real test is what happens when you pull back a little; when you stop reaching out first; when you stop being the one who keeps the connection alive. Some people will notice immediately. They’ll feel the shift. They’ll check on you just to make sure you’re okay; not because they want anything, but because your silence matters to them. And then there are the ones who never notice at all; the ones who only show up when they need something, the ones who liked the version of you that never stopped giving. Your quiet seasons reveal more than you think. Who is real? Who is temporary? And who was only there for what you could offer. The people who show up when you’re quiet? Those are the ones who truly see you.”
Recently I had a conversation with a former line dance student who started teaching and was experiencing difficulty in dealing with peoples’ attitudes in her classes. She wondered how I taught for all those years. The truth is that I didn’t have an answer for her. Unfortunately, she decided teaching wasn’t worth the drama and stepped away before I had a chance to take her class. Fortunately, she convinced me to attend a family-friendly line dance event where her husband was the DJ with a guest instructor teaching.
Luckily that night, a couple conversations pulled me back to comprehend what my teaching meant to some dancers there. It has been years since I saw these two people; one lady remarked how line dance kept her in the best shape, both physically and mentally. Another young man, who is married with three kids now, told me how much his 3-year-old daughter enjoys dancing. It was the highlight of my night to watch him line dance while carrying her as her little hands clutched his shirt; smiling and giggling the entire time.
Consequently, I have made the decision to slowly ease back into venturing out to various line dance classes and local events to continue writing about my experiences!
