movement

isn't it interesting all the ways that we can move....sitting, standing, rolling, jumping, twirling, shaking. for some, movement, is their expression of who they are. my friend dana is a dancer and i got to see a performance this past weekend in richmond, va starring her dance company. the way these bodies moved--sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes leaping, sometimes gliding, sometimes floating, running, twirling, turning, crawling, prancing, swishing, spinning, shaking and sliding. It was amazing to watch all of these dancers in unison at times and individually at times express themselves to latin and african tribal music.

then, the next day, i saw my friend who has ALS, the cruelest disease i know of. she is so limited in her movement that she uses her eyes to operate her computer mouse. she is confined to a wheelchair and can barely wiggle only her middle finger. she can sometimes hold her neck up, but is even having difficulty with that these days. she can speak softly, mumbled, with limited breath support.

two extremes: from unlimited movement by truly talented ballerinas to no movement by someone who is trapped in a body that doesn't move. and then there's me--one with choice. i can choose to move or choose to be still. what is my choice? who chooses ? who chooses with me? will i move? ...or will i stay?