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Alrighty then.......I
AM BACK! The coffee stains have been permanently removed
from my key board. Actually, my keyboard was permanently
removed from my laptop! I had to buy a new one. I
was told by the computer tech at Comp USA to be happy
that it wasn't the mother board. "You lose the
mother board, you might as well start over",
he says. "But it was just a splatter", I
explain. He wanted to know how big the splatter was.
Geeez, let me play the moment back
in my mind. I had just finished sending my last issue
of Dance Trends and thought I would try to send a
couple of e-mails before getting ready for work. I
figured, now would be a good time to have a fresh
hot cup of coffee, a little reward for getting such
a creative wonderful newsletter on it's happy little
way to you! (No comments on the creative, wonderful
part... remember, this is free!) As I sit down to
type, my coffee cup hits the edge of my mouse pad
and a splatter of the java flies up into the air and
onto my keyboard. There is that wonderful moment of
silence. I am speechless...well, actually I do remember
saying a few words but will spare you from that part
of my little story. Beads of sweat now started to
form just below my receding hair line, as I stared
at my computer.
I swear the screen was staring back
at me. "You idiot", it was saying. "Oo-oo,
ahh, ahh, that's hot, that's hot! Why don't you stick
to dancing and leave this computer stuff to the smart
people, like your students"? I sat in silence
for a moment before I ever so gently started to connect
my fingers to the keyboard. Hey! It's working! Wheeew,
that was close! " I'll show you close",
said my Sony, %$$##@...///']][=##@|||||**)()()( !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Never tempt the gods or your computer! I looked at
the computer tech and said, "Does it really matter
what the size of the splatter is? You're going to
take it apart and then you can tell me what works
and what doesn't". That was enough for him, he
didn't want to hear anymore from an agitated customer
who was obviously frustrated and desperate to get
his computer back! End of story!
The best part of this whole experience
was that it created the opportunity for DT readers
to come up and rib me a little bit. "Hey Dan,
you want a cup of coffee?" "When do you
get your computer back"? But after the kidding
was over, many of them would share some of their thoughts
and ideas with me, which I greatly appreciated. Sometimes,
when your sitting in front of the computer in the
privacy of your hotel room or home office, and you're
writing down what your thoughts are, you start to
wonder, "Am I the only one who feels this way
or sees it this way"? Sometimes I am, but most
of the time when I am on the road, I am approached
by several people...professionals, amateurs, organizers,
and vendors, who have the same concerns that I have.
This is what keeps me going. It is the fuel for my
next newsletter. The suggestions, comments, jokes,
and opinions I have received are appreciated! Dance
Trends has hit almost 1,000 readers, because of recommendations
from fellow dancers who like the format and who are
maybe a bit curious about what a coach's or judge's
point of view is, or what other readers may think.
So, I will continue to share my
views on what I think is important for our industry
to thrive and I hope you will take the time and share
your opinions too. I receive several e-mails a week
from people who have concerns about certain issues
related to Dancesport...questions regarding everything
from politics to dance etiquette. I respect and understand
those who wish to remain anonymous but, at the same
time, would like to encourage them to eventually come
forward with their opinions. Why? Because many of
the opinions and suggestions I have received are good
ones from valuable people in the dance world. Why
would anyone be afraid or uncomfortable giving their
opinion? Maybe they are a competitor who thinks they
will be looked upon unfavorably by a judge. Maybe
an organizer of a competition does not want to cause
waves with the NDCA, or, a student does not want to
offend their teacher or studio.
But, how does an organization know
what it's members are thinking if they are not sharing
their opinions? I have written that I think all professionals
should have a vote when electing officials in the
NDCA. I have yet to meet one single person who does
not share this same view with me. Yet, even though
this is probably how the majority of the people who
pay their dues feel, will it change? Only if people
speak out. I love living in this country because I
have the right to speak out. It is what this country
was founded on. The freedom of speech. So, I will
continue to write but, I might skip the coffee!
Dan
Messenger
08-06-2001
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