QUEENS AND KINGS IN WESTERLY

         

When Delycia and I were dancing last night at the Knickerbocker Café in Westerly (RI), I think we felt, at least some of the time, like seasoned, free-and-easy dancers. We’re senior citizens with our share of physical imperfections, and we’re brand new students of dancing, but last night we were a couple of young, footloose friends, twirling around like teens set free. The band, The Cartells, was a breezy and buoyant group who were obviously out to make a merry evening for themselves as well as the patrons. They blew and strummed and sang like queens and kings of their instruments, like they were out to set a record for spirit and wholeheartedness. They seemed to play with pure pleasure, and that’s how we danced. We tripped on each other and bumped other couples, but even those mistakes were made with fervor. We smiled when we stumbled, and laughed when we lost our balance. All evening long, the band broke free, again and again, with their strong-willed music, and we made our own kind of getaway – two silver retirees swaying and swinging like life had just started.