Most of my friends know by now that I have a new obsession.

It began in November with some emails to a woman named Rebecca at Four Seasons Dance in downtown Minneapolis.

My original goal as discussed with Rebecca was to become "okay" at the random social dance events that pop up in life. The example I used was wedding dances.

We started with lessons about every other week. Of course, holidays and vacation plans and such interfered. And I discovered that there was a lot of backwards progress when we went too long in between lessons. Beginning in January, I increased my classes to weekly. Then in February (at Rebecca's invitation) I began attending group lessons Wednesday evenings.

Sometime in December, Rebecca told me about dance parties. All of us have been to wedding dances or events with bands such as the Rockin' Hollywoods. At most of these events, most of the dancers stand near each other and kinda wiggle at each other. That's supposedly dancing "with someone". It's really dancing at them. But at these dance parties, people actually dance with each other.

I've attended two in the last couple of months, and it was the most amazing thing. These people really know how to dance, and they're touching. The entire time! Most of them are dancing in time to the music and some of them are truly fabulous to watch.

My goals have changed. I'll never be a great dancer, but I told Rebecca last week, "This is going to be a long term relationship." She laughed. I won't be one of those fabulous to watch dancers, but Rebecca says, "But you can be a good dancer." She stressed the good.

So now: that's my goal.

And I'm increasing my times with Rebecca. We're going to a dance party ever month (or so, based on scheduling abilities) and will probably try to find one more opportunity each month. And sometime this summer, once she's started teaching me Argentine Tango, I'll be back at her studio Monday nights for her husband's group Argentine Tango classes...

I keep thinking of that song. "You're an obsession. My obsession." I wonder if I should add it to my iPod and play it for her next time we're together.