Disappointed with Dancing with the Stars

I watched the finale of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) last night, but last year and this year, I’ve been disappointed.

I’ve been watching DWTS for years. I love the sophistication to ballroom dancing and the costumes. There has always been an elegance and style to the music, too, and I like when the judges comment on keeping to the dance style.

So You Think You Can Dance and World of Dance are shows that can show more variety in dance styles. DWTS is BALLROOM dancing and ballroom dancing is about classiness, refinement, grace, polish, charm… a lot of which is a bit lacking in today’s world and I miss it.

The network is cheapening ballroom dancing. It has become more about ratings, fads, and a popularity contest... which star has the biggest following. I fast forward through a lot. And, here in these days when sexual exploitation is frowned upon, it’s still being presented. Some of the costumes worn by host and women judges are awful; they don’t fit with the show. The low-cut styles with their boobs practically falling out, materials made to look like flesh, so they look half-naked… I don’t get it and don’t like it. (Is this just because I’m old now?)

It's gone from a dance competition with celebrities and professional dancers to part of the show being who can wear the most outlandish outfit between the women judges and the host. (Oh, I miss Tom Bergeron. He was so laid back and funny. Tyra Banks is too loud and over the top. She’s hyped up and yelling all the time. It seems the show is more about her than the dancers.)

And, along with the women and their costumes, the latest trend of the male dancers is to be bare chested (or wearing no shirt at all!) Again, this doesn’t fit in with the elegance of ballroom dancing – unless a particular dance, style, and costume warrant it. But for all the men ripping open their shirts – this isn’t Chippendales! (For me, the thought of touching a sweaty body – ewww!)

The music, too, seems off. I do not like the fast thump, thump, thump of today’s music. All the songs have the same underlying beat and sometimes I can’t see how the dancers are ballroom dancing to those beats. They must all be counting in their heads to get the right footsteps because sometimes their steps don’t match the beat of the songs.

I am sad because for years I’ve enjoyed the beauty and elegance of this show and now it’s been cheapened and is more about outlandishness. Am I alone feeling this way? 

Feeling the Presence of God Thanksgiving Day 2021

I was having a good day yesterday. Sent off some Happy Thanksgiving messages and spent almost two hours in the studio finishing the current painting. (At least, I’m hoping it’s finished – I have to let it sit a couple days.)

It was getting time to have lunch and I was just calling it quits on the painting when I got a phone call. This was one of those times listening on and on about God stuff and Satan taking over the world, and… Arrghhhh!

I let her talk because it makes her feel good. I know she’s just telling her stories, sharing her beliefs, and this religious obsession makes her happy. And this is fine for her and if it makes her happy, who am I to discourage her... and I don’t want to discourage her. For me, though, I just find it depressing and I fell into a hole emotionally. I listened without saying much, (yes, I did talk about some of my stuff), but over an hour later and by the time we hung up, I was totally depressed.

It was 2:30 p.m. I still needed to have my Thanksgiving meal and I needed to do my painting progress writing and photo. My productive day slid downhill.

Suddenly, I felt a Presence at my left shoulder; a shadowy blob, and even though it was a dark, almost-palpable presence, there was a God-like feel to it. But why wasn’t it a white light? (Which I’ve felt and seen before, but I think this was because it was a more, almost solid-like presence and He wanted to be almost physically felt.)

I immediately went into an apologetic mode, but I realized, too, I also get defensive. (Present tense with “get” because it dawned on me, whenever I do feel a spiritual presence, I get defensive. It’s never the right time, I’m too busy, I don’t want to be scared… oh, I have excuses…)

Other times it has felt like different spirits, muses, etc., which sometimes feel male, female, or genderless, but yesterday, this was GOD! (And this definitely felt male, although I believe there is no real gender in the spirit world.) And with my apologies were my defending my beliefs against the man-created religion and not against HIM. And I didn’t want to hear I am wrong because something deep inside keeps telling me I’m not.

It was like I could feel Him smile and a warm ethereal hand was laid on my shoulder, then caressed the side of my face. I felt/heard a gentle “It’s OK. You’re OK.” It felt like I was given a comforting hug. He didn’t make me feel I was wrong and had to change my ways.

But I was still too much in my mind; my defense at what I believe, and having religious opinions shoved down my throat. I have my views of mankind and what history has shown, and all that. There are those of us who walk our own paths… and He allows that… after all, he gave us brains to think and reason. If He wanted us all to just be sheep, He would have given all of us sheep brains.

The Presence faded away, but I was left with a feeling He understands and He’s waiting for me with open arms when my time comes.

Tears fill my eyes as I write this. Yes, I’ve felt spirits before, but this was the first time I’ve ever felt it was really God. Does it change my beliefs? No. Do I feel this is the Christian God? Hmmm… I don’t know as I don’t really know that much about other religions.

I believe Jesus did come, but there were religions and gods way before him. And the way man distorts and uses concepts to control people… Maybe we’ll never know the real truth until our time comes. With so many thousands of years of history, how can anyone determine the real truth, anyway. How much of it is propaganda? Maybe the truth is in our individual beliefs (or group beliefs).

I believe God/spirit does “talk” and come to people. And maybe he sends angels, muses, and other spirits to also help. We all have dreams and visions. Are they interpreted to do good or to control the “flock.”

In my apology, I told Him I don’t want to be in a flock or herd. He smiled. He understood. I AM OK.

It was after 3 p.m. by the time I heated up my dinner… and yes, I stuffed myself. It was a very good meal. (But by that time, it was too late to get the progress work done on my painting.)

So, this Thanksgiving, I was given something very special to be thankful for.

Choosing to be an Individual over Being in a Herd

 

As humans, it seems we’re always choosing, or feeling we have to choose sides. We’re either this or that, belong to this group or that organization, with some being seen as right and others wrong.

This past year it seems the divisions have become more pronounced with political sides and the CDC pushing for herd mentality and there has always been the religious side with the church and their flocks.

But what if you don’t want to be part of a herd or flock? Not every creature in nature is of that mentality. There are those who are individuals living more solitary lives. God gave us brains, so why are we being forced to always follow the dictates of others? Why do we need to be forced to do or think like others if it feels wrong to us?

Even as a child, I didn’t fit in with others very well. Something inside me just didn’t want to do what every other kid was doing or liked. It started a very young age. Girls’ favorite color was supposed to be red, but I chose blue as my favorite.  Girls were supposed to like dolls, but I’d rather be outside playing with my brother’s trucks or off in the woods exploring or building forts and tree huts. When the Beatles became the rage, I chose the Monkees as my favorite group. There was something deep within that had me choosing my own path.

As I grew older, I found myself shying away from the popular trends. I never wanted to be a sheep. I wanted to be a horse – strong, elegant, stately. Yes, horses run in herds, but my vision was of them running free across the plains and doing their own thing.

Unfortunately, that made me an outcast and very shy. I was ridiculed throughout all my school years and even into adulthood. I was the odd person out, last one chosen, when participating in groups and events. Why was I so different? Why didn’t I fit in? Oh, those painful, younger years when I was made to feel there was something wrong with me.

Yeah, there were times when I’d get on a bandwagon with others, but it never lasted long. That something inside me always made me stick to my inner self… even when I didn’t fully know what my beliefs were. All I knew was I didn’t want what others wanted. (I realized, in my later years, I am a lot like mother... wish I could have this discussion with her now.)

It took decades before I learned to be comfortable with who I am… and yes, sometimes there is guilt when I feel I’m not what others want of me. But I can’t be what I am not! That’s the main thought has kept me going all these years.

I don’t have anything against people coming together for a common cause. I don’t have anything against God or higher spirits. It’s the manipulation that sets my Spidey-senses off. Whenever I feel someone or some advertising is trying to shove their beliefs or products down my throat, my entire being balks and I question the ethics, integrity, intent of what it means.

Marketing – whether marketing product or belief is understanding human behavior and knowing how to manipulate the masses. And they have learned to do it well. This has been going since the beginning of mankind. We’ve been manipulated all our lives. Join this group. Be a member of this organization. And I am refusing to play the game. I’m not trusting anyone or anything that I feel is being forced on me.

So… what about those of us who follow our own paths? Does that make us wrong? Whenever something gets too controlling, I feel claustrophobic, and these days, now that I’m a history buff and have a better understanding of the past… I believe my inner eyes are now more open than ever.

I’ve been thinking of this for awhile now but wasn’t quite sure how to write about it. I guess I’m a quiet rebel. I’ve never been one to force my ideas and beliefs on others. Of course, now that I’m older and I’m able to live my life more on my terms, I do have more courage to speak up (write about my feelings).

Today, in reading the Sunday Coffee blog by Eric Rhoads, publisher, he, too, talks about choosing how to live our lives, such as: Doing what you want on your own terms. Not caring what others think. Not following the path we think we should follow. Pursue what you love with passion.

“It's so easy to lose sight of who we really are because the world is always telling us what we should be. We're all too often seduced by shiny objects.

“What if you and I were truly ourselves at all times?

How would we change the way we live?” – Eric Rhoads

God gave us brains to think for ourselves. Logic, sense. Logical is a word that comes up often when I read about current affairs. There doesn’t seem to be much logic nowadays. We’re being told what to do and we’re not allowed to say anything against it, and we’re supposed to go along with whatever they dictate to us.

My Spidey-senses are on high alert.

So, what do I do? Avoid the negativity and hatred as much as I can. Be as wholehearted as I can be. Stick to my beliefs… unless I can be proved wrong (and so far, I’ve not been), be kind, and humble. When I choose to live my life my way, I am content and satisfied.