Lifedancer

You often have to give your email address out-- at the doctor's office, children's schools, cashiers when signing up for rewards programs.  My email address has the phrase "lifedancer" in it and often the person collecting the information looks up and says, "Oh, are you a dancer?"  Sometimes the tone is curious, sometimes skeptical if they've taken notice of my age, often they just want to talk about dancing..."My sister is a dancer she performs at..."

No activity gives me more joy than dancing.  However that is not why I identify with "Lifedancer."  About 8 years ago I was in the middle of a physical and emotional crisis.  I was very sick and depressed for a few weeks, but when the symptoms started to improve enough to leave the house I went shopping.  I happened upon a deck of tarot cards that had beautiful artwork and were large and circular which seemed unusual and very feminine.  The deck was called "Daughters of the Moon" and I've always been drawn to the moon so I bought the cards.  Every day during my recovery from that point I would draw a card from the deck and each day the card seemed to mirror how I was feeling.  Until one day, when I not only physically felt well, but was also in a very optimistic and energetic frame of mind I chose "Shakti, Life Dancer."    (If you are familiar with tarot in a traditional deck it would correspond to "The World.")

One of the lines that the author of the book that accompanies this desk is:  "The ecstatic life-dancer creates the rhythmic pattern of life, revealing that all endings lead us to new beginnings." When you are dancing you must finish one step in order to take the next.  Usually when you start dancing you are familiar with the song and generally know what steps you are going to be taking.  Sometimes the music changes though and then you need to chose whether or not you want to learn the new dance.  You can even chose to create your own music.  

So when the receptionist or cashier confirming my email address asks, "Oh are you a dancer?"  I usually just smile and reply, "Yes...are you?"