Happy Valentine's Day

The names in this story are made up. In fact, the entire story is made up. The only part that is not made up is that there was a sock hop last night at the neighbourhood community centre a few blocks from home. But I was not there, so the story is made up. But it may well have been exactly like this...


The first thing that caught our eye was an old couple, I’d say in their 60s. They were jiving to Shake Rattle & Roll, really jiving. They were having fun. That was key, fun.

It was as motley collection of couples as I’ve seen. Of course I had no idea what to expect. The last time I was at anything like this was about 30 years ago back then I used to go to socials, organized for young singles like me. And then we were all in the same age group.

This was organized for anyone who wanted to come. Most people came with a partner, but there was a healthy minority of singles. I watched from time to time, the awkwardness, the shyness, the sparkle in the eye when someone clicked.

There was one guy, let’s call him Jack, I’d say mid 30s, who was making himself very popular. All decked out in a turtleneck, jet black trousers, he kind of looked like a John Travolta wannabe, except for his face, which looked more like Dom Deluise, It seems that his goal was not to sit out a single dance, and I don’t know if he succeeded but he can’t be faulted for not trying.

The girls, though, they mostly didn’t take him seriously. One though, let’s call her Linda, she seemed to like him quite well. Poor Linda, maybe 25, hard to tell though, I’d say she weighs about 200 lbs., she seemed quite taken with Jack. She tried to get him for the slow dances (The Drifters’ This Magic Moment, Never My Love by The Association) but Jack seemed to be otherwise occupied at those exact moments.

There were young, and not so young, couples who were obviously dating, some who didn’t seem to know each other well, some who did. The married couples, though, were the ones having the most fun.

There were 15 dance contests, and all but 2 were won by married couples. We didn’t win any contests, we didn’t enter any contests, but we danced alright, fast ones, slow ones, medium ones.

And the music, well I have to give them credit, they kept the place going – The Happening followed by I’m A Believer followed by Paperback Writer, then slowing it down with To Love Somebody and Save Your Heart For Me. The sound system reminded me of those old high school dances, after they’d quit hiring flesh and blood bands – except for the volume. No way all those seniors could stand the volume we used to hear as teenagers.

Sheldon, he was there stag. He tried to line someone up for each of the slow dances. The women weren’t as interested as he’d hoped. Some were polite, they felt sorry for him, they danced with him, but they kept their distance. Others straight out declined. There was one woman, I call her Paula, she danced by herself the whole time. She was having a great time, she had friends of both genders, but she danced by herself.


And that old couple, they didn’t quit. Every time I looked there they were on the dance floor. They were still at it as Engelbert sang The Last Waltz, and the evening drew to a close…