Become a Home Based Travel Agent

From the Heart…
By: Rusty Pickett

It was one of those dead times during a cruise – the time between first and second seating when the cruise line had two of the stage singers come to the Atrium to provide some after dinner or cocktail music depending on what your dining time was.   There was a good crowd, and 80’s disco was the theme.   A few couples were dancing, but the floor was far from crowded.  The next song started and a young adult with Downs Syndrome excitedly headed to the dance floor under the watchful and clearly proud eyes of his mother. 

The music started and away he went.  John Travolta would have been proud.  Where he had mastered these fluid steps was unknown, but the more the music played. the more he got into it.  Arms were in the air, and feet were flawlessly moving.  The crowd and singers were initially a little apprehensive -- you could see it in their faces.  But as time went on our dancer worked both the crowd and the singers with disco techniques only a few would want to try! 

The crowd started clapping and the music kept coming.  With the end of the song, you could see a clear emotional letdown on the face of our dancer.  But the start of the music brought a new round of enthusiasm and dance.  The innocence and love of what he was doing was infectious.  Tissues started to appear from purses, as the audience reacted with tears of joy – most trying not to be noticed. 

His mother remained on the sidelines confident in the crowd’s reaction and happy to see her son cashing in a few minutes from his fifteen minutes of fame.  And it was time for the last song of this too short 20-minute segment.  Our dancer started, and was spontaneously suddenly joined by six undoubted mothers who encircled him, dancing away, highlighting his every move. 

He performed his magic for his fellow dancers, and as quickly as the session started, the music ended.  High fives and hugs were exchanged around and the crowd disbursed.  After the final dabs, the tissues were put away.  The young man and his mother headed off to their next adventure.  It was only a moment of time – one that could only come from the heart.  What a great experience we sell.