Hoping in Duple Time…

What stimulates your hope? 

The Polka is a happy, little tune - don’t you think?  (Really, Gary?  The Polka?  Slow day?)

No, really.  I was station-surfing the other day; looking for a little hard-rock music; it was my “Mandatory Metallica Monday”.  I came across Polka music on the radio and it immediately triggered memories of my childhood - and the movie “Home Alone”.  Did you see that movie?  John Candy played Gus Polinski, the leader of a Polka Band from Milwaukee. Remember his pride over one of their hits, “Polka-Polka-Polka”?  Classic!

From Centralhome.com (of all places):

Polka is defined as a vivacious couple dance of Bohemian origin in duple time; it is a basic pattern of hop-step-close-step; a lively dance tune in 2/4 time.

Vivacious; lively; duple time; doesn’t that just perk you right up?  OK, who brought the accordian?

Answer.com adds:

Polka music is a form of European dance music which originated in Bohemia (what is now an area within the Czech Republic).

And from Wikipedia:

Apparently, it was so well-received that it became a sort of dance craze, spreading across all of Europe, and to the US.

“OK Gary, but the Polka?  Today?  How does that stimulate hope?” 

Well, you see the Polka is part of my family roots.  When I was grade school aged and visited my Aunt and Grandmother in Chicago, I watched my Cousin John practice and play the accordion.  At family gatherings everyone would dance (lively; in duple time!).  I remember the cold beer would flow, as would the rich happiness of blue collar, working families, who made the most of celebrations that they could rarely afford.  Although they struggled to make ends meet, when they partied – they really partied – and they polkaed!

There have been other dance crazes, for sure.  In the ‘60’s it was the Twist.  Anyone remember the Hustle from the ‘70’s?  Who hasn’t heard of the Electric Slide?   How many of these dances will outlast the Polka?

 

Back to Wikipedia:

The actual dance and accompanying music called "polka" are generally attributed to a girl, Anna Slezakova of Labska Tynice, Bohemia, in 1834.

Alright Anna! 186 years and still going strong!

When my relatives danced the Polka years ago, it was all about celebration.  Celebrating some occasion, for sure; but also celebrating family; celebrating life; celebrating hope!  The hardest working people are often the ones that enjoy family gatherings and modest accouterments the most, yes? 

These celebrations are enthusiastic expressions of hope.  Blue collar families stay pretty focused day-to-day; living paycheck to paycheck.  They have to.  But when it’s time for a family celebration, hope springs eternal! 

Throughout the ages, dances of hope were common among many people. Texas Bix Bender, who brought us such sage advice as:

Don’t squat with your boots on.

and, 

Never drink down stream from the herd.

Also offers us insight about dance, the future, timing, and hope.  In the Great Plains and throughout the West, for instance, we’ve all read lore about the rain dance.  And Texas Bix said:
 

Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

So I’m smiling today about the timing of my life and the opportunity to envision memories of my Cousin John playing the accordion while my Uncle Frank and Aunt Bernice danced the Polka into the wee hours of the morning. Yes - the Polka – a happy (and hopeful) little tune indeed. 

What stimulates your hope?

GAP

When life gets tough we could get a helmet… or… we could leverage the peace and share the power of a positive perspective.