SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS

 

 

 

People hasten to judge

in order not to be judged themselves.

 

Albert Camus

THE FALL

 

 

The Waterfront Playhouse (celebrating 73 years in Key West) presented SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS.  The two hour play was listed as a "part comedy, part drama and part cha-cha-cha.  There were only two performers in the entire play.  A man, who portrayed a gay dance instructor and a woman, who played the role of a widowed Southern Baptist minister's wife.  They were very suited for the characters they played and the viewing time rushed by.  They played to a full house receiving a standing ovation at the end.

 

I certainly wouldn't want to write a review for this play, but the story line ran very close to the truth of how we can consider our selves loving and kind, not prejudiced, but still have hurtful words pass out of our mouths without even realizing it.  In the production, the gay man frequently and boldly called out the woman for her stereotyping and the aging southern belle did not mince words to bring his false assumptions and unaligned defenses front and center.

 

It is my hope communities today are much better at embracing diversity in cultures, religions, races, and politics.  I am uncomfortably aware of the hatred in the world, but I am addressing the prejudices we unknowingly portray.  I am referring to things we say off the top of our heads that when we are challenged we discover we have no real basis for the accusations we have just made ... just assumptions, things we have learned from our family of origin or individual experiences now judging a certain group instead of the singular offender.

 

We can all recall incidents of making a faux pas, but I shudder to think of the many times I have not been aware of offending someone as I unknowingly blathered on.  There are times when I run through a conversation in my head hours or days later and cringe at something I have said that was perhaps open to a different translation.  The words can never be withdrawn and trying to clarify by reopening the conversation usually makes things worse.

 

When someone challenges us about words we have carelessly uttered, we sometimes discover our opinion has been based on false assumptions or as mentioned before, lumping an entire group of people into a negative category based on the behaviors of  just one person.  Even in generalizing ... "These kids today are spoiled.  Single parents are not up to the challenge.  Doctors are in it just for the money.  Other countries are evil.  Our world is doomed."

 

The bottom line is we must be accountable for our opinions.  We must listen to what others say in addition to what we are saying.  If we hold an opinion, we must be well informed to support it based on facts not assumptions.  There is no need to back down or alter personal beliefs, but we need to  listen to what others have to say.  This of course requires an open heart, compassion, and respect  for others.  We must also be willing to recognize our own short sightedness and to be willing to adapt and change when needed. 

 

SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS illustrates how we are all human beings needing love and acceptance.  It portrays how we are so busy pointing out the fleck in some one elses eye, we peer around the boulder in our own.  We all have many parts to our selves combining us into a whole being.  Not all of our parts are pure or sterling.  It is helpful to be aware of our weaker parts, to strive to accept and adapt them, and to become integrated in our awareness of not just others, but our selves as well.