Life Goals

One of my many, many favorite moments in "Roxanne", one of my all-time favorite movies, involves Steve Martin's Cyrano-esque Fire Chief C.D. Bales attempting to teach his hapless firefighting charges how to properly put into effect a fire hose. To do this he strikes up Strauss's "Blue Danube Waltz" on a record player and has them move in time to the music with the full-force hose in hand. "A one, a two, a three!" he implores. "A one, a two, a three!" Then the spirit moves him. "I can't stand it!" he cries as he waltzes in time by himself.

I thought of this moment just the other day. I was on the El platform waiting for a train that, as trains in Chicago will, wouldn't come. As I did, a young man, twenties, sporting a well-coiffed faux hawk, ascended the platform and found a waiting spot a couple feet down from me. He was wearing headphones. He scrolled through his iPod. He found a song to his liking. He liked it so much, in fact, that he began dancing. Right there. On the train platform.

Several people moved away and re-positioned themselves farther back down. I stayed where I was, admittedly fascinated by this public display of dancing and even, well, a bit jealous. I remember the time I was on the train and I had just uploaded the new Gwen Stefani album on my iPod and I was so overcome with the groove that mentally I was screaming "I can't stand it! Just get up, Nick! Just get up and DANCE!" I, of course, didn't.

Days like today are a time for both reflection and looking ahead, a time to take stock of the man I am and the man I want to be, and what goals I can set in the hopes of eventually being me to the best of my ability. This probably should involve things that are health-related and finance-related and career-related.

Alas, I merely want to become the sort of man who dances in public. If I can become that man then I think I will have done all right in this life.