Dance Fever Danger

WARNING: Engaging in country swing may be dangerous to limbs and face.

* * * *

I've been country dancing for a long time. I love it. It's fun, it's crazy to watch, and it's a good, clean Western way to pass the time.

Beware, however: All that swinging, flipping, twirling and dipping certainly qualifies country dance as a full-contact sport.

Over the years I've been dropped, smacked, scraped, poked, and accidentally grabbed in places this type of dance doesn't really intend. Given the nature of the dance, I don't think these things are out of the ordinary for anyone who's ever tried it.

Getting a shiner, however, might be. After a pretzeling incident dancing at the Cowboy in Laramie last night, a black eye is exactly what I can now add to my list of country swing boo boos.

Some of you probably believe me because you know how much I like to swing. Others are likely thinking, "Sure, Kim. Way to cover for the bar room brawl you've had comin'." And since both of these are plausible, I'm sure there's a good-sized camp who don't know what to think.

I am thinking it's pretty darn funny. And kind of like a hard-core badge of country swing pride.

That said, I still might wear goggles - and not the beer kind - the next time I hit the floor.