Most Like Myself
If you were to ask me when I feel most like me, this would be my answer.
I feel most like myself when I'm dancing in my room with my headphones so loud that they're probably slowly turning me deaf, but it's not loud enough since in an ideal world I would be able to inject the music straight into my veins.
When I'm making up moves, dancing with my heart and just feeling the music.
When I'm doing a silly dance because I'm happy.
When I've got music playing while my friends are over and we start dancing around because we're overtired and high on each other's company.
When a good song comes on while I'm cleaning and I start singing along and dancing, so suddenly it's fun.
When I'm on stage with people watching, music seeping through my body as I perform a routine I've practiced a hundred times over.
When I get off the stage after I finish dancing and hear the applause from the crowd, and all the hard work turns into something real in that moment.
When I'm dancing and I can't help but let a big grin spread across my face because it brings me so much joy that my body physically can't contain it.
When I'm putting everything I'm feeling into dancing because it's all too much to say with words.
When I'm dancing and for a second I stop breathing, and time feels almost non-existent.
When I'm dancing and each part of me feels alive.
When I'm out in the pouring rain, dancing like I'll never see it again, all because life's too short to not experience the joy in all the little things.
When a song I love comes on and I can't help but start dancing.
When I'm dancing and see the kids I teach smiling back at me, knowing I get to share my passion and excitement with them.
But most of all, when I'm teaching dance. All the small moments. The high fives and words of encouragement. The giving out stickers and stamps and being the emotional support that gets to give them a hug and hold their hand when they miss their mum.
Getting to ask them how school was and listen to all the stories they have to tell me about. When they walk through the door and are excited to see me. That's when I feel most like me.