Clint and I attended a wedding a few weeks ago, in which his daughter, Jennifer, was Maid of Honor. Having met the the bride and groom only twice before, I still choked up during the slideshow that played as the ceremony began. I am a sucker for a wedding.
The reception was fun, but it took me a little while to strong-arm Clint out onto the dance floor. The music was a variety of stuff we could dance to—old-time rock & roll, mixed in with stuff we could not dance to—rap. Hey, we missed the breakdance boat; what can I say?
We got lucky though, and stayed on the floor for 3 or 4 songs, before Clint declared himself in need of a break. Just as we were leaving the floor, banjo music broke out. As I was thinking "whew! Good timing," Clint's eyes grew wide, and he yelled "Cotton Eye Joe!"
I'm still trying to figure out if I dreamed what happened next, even though I have photographic evidence that I did not.
The reception was fun, but it took me a little while to strong-arm Clint out onto the dance floor. The music was a variety of stuff we could dance to—old-time rock & roll, mixed in with stuff we could not dance to—rap. Hey, we missed the breakdance boat; what can I say?
We got lucky though, and stayed on the floor for 3 or 4 songs, before Clint declared himself in need of a break. Just as we were leaving the floor, banjo music broke out. As I was thinking "whew! Good timing," Clint's eyes grew wide, and he yelled "Cotton Eye Joe!"
I'm still trying to figure out if I dreamed what happened next, even though I have photographic evidence that I did not.
Clint moved onto the dance floor across from Jennifer, and they both began dancing. Only it wasn't just dancing, it was...almost...choreographed! They were kicking up their heels, and doing something like a jig. Or clogging. Or stomping. I don't know what it was called, but it was amazing! Knees were high, heels and hips were flying, and the wedding party circled 'round to cheer them.
And me? I was stunned, STUNNED! I'd never heard of Cotten Eye Joe, let alone know that my very own boyfriend could cut a rug like this! I'd have been every bit as surprised if he'd done 3 backflips and landed in the splits! I hooted and laughed, and took as many pictures as I could before the song ended, and everyone clapped and patted them on the back.
"Pretty fun, huh?" he said, as he moved off the floor.
"Who ARE you, and what have you done with my Clint?!!"
It was a wonderful, jaw-dropping surprise for all of us; I for one, am still shaking my head and laughing.
My question to you: Has anyone in your life ever shocked you by revealing something you did not know about them, or something you did not know they could do?
How fun! I wish you'd shot a video, though. Of course, now I won't be able to get that song out of my head for the rest of the day.
ReplyDeleteAnd with respect to your question, my answer is "yes" though it's rare, if ever, that I've experienced that in a positive way.
I did try a video, but it turned out dark.
ReplyDeleteAnd awwwwwwww, that's so sad! (Give us the scoop!)
I can't think of anything dramatic where some great talent or ability was suddenly revealed . . . and unfortunately I relate to what Joe said; I know I've had the experience of saying to myself (in dismay), "Oh, I didn't know he was like (or "would do") that..."
ReplyDeleteHow fun, for you, though! Seems like you're gonna have to learn how to country dance, eh? That song sounded an awful lot like Turkey in the Straw to me, by the way.
Seriously, you've never heard of Cotton Eyed Joe???
ReplyDeletegotta say it again - That Clint is a keeper!
I'm ALSO surprised that you had never heard of the Cotton-Eyed Joe. Did everybody yell "BULLSH*T" at the appropriate moment, as they do in Texas? (Or were they more polite, given that it was a wedding?)
ReplyDeleteAs to the question you posed to your readers...let me think a bit on that one.
Janet
Lisa/Mary/Janet
ReplyDeleteI don't listen to a lot of country-style music. I love the old classics, but the newer stuff comes off as "sensational" to me, with hokey subject matter meant to break your heart...
Therefore I also miss out on the...er...good stuff! Country dancing, huh? Well...I do like to dance...
I don't remember the Bullshit part, Janet.
Okay- I really don't have an answer to your question. But you did remind me of a good memory with this post. A few years ago we were at my niece's wedding and this song came on and the entire wedding party and friends got out and did a "line dance" to this where they had their legs up over their heads clapping and everything else. It really is a fun song.
ReplyDeleteStephanie
What a hoot. I surprised my better half with some new dance moves I learned at a leadership conference. :)
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of CEJ--the tune is disgustingly addictive and stuck in my head for hours. (OK it is a fun sound and the dance looks cool--Clint is such a rocker!) Last evening I was watching LOGO (lesbian and gay channel) and saw the familiar ad for a dance/disco album. I've seen the ad many times. But for the first time last night, while the song list of the album scrolled by, I saw "Cotton-Eyed Joe" by the Rednex. Hello, that doesn't seem very disco to me. Guess it's just a popular dance song. My world continues to expand...
ReplyDeletekm
I'm a bad bloggy friend.
ReplyDeleteNo blogging. No comments. No emails. Bad. Nice story about Clint. :-) I hope all is well.
I'd tell you about the...uh...
surprise...but I'm still in therapy over it LOL
My man, he’s so macho -- steel fitter, rebuilds vehicles (mostly trucks, jeeps, choppers), built two homes on his own, remodeled another, I mean stripped down to the studs remodel not just kitchen cabinets remodel, fought in Vietnam, certified gas tech, able to accomplish all things manly. We went to Disneyland, we got on Space Mountain, the man screamed like a woman the entire ride -- what a surprise!
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to that song I have a sudden urge to start voting Republican again.
ReplyDeleteStephanie: Very cool; not quite the same as the electric slide or the "I don't wanna be a duck" song, is it?
ReplyDeleteGreg: You GO boy! Was she wow'd?
KM: Uh...not a disco song. BeeGees = Disco, Rednex = CEJ.
AndyT: You busy boy. Thanks for popping in, and I'll wait her for my blog reader to be highlighted with yours.
AZ: That is hilarious. Hilaaaaaaaaaarious!
Lugosi: What, darlink? Liberals and Democrats cain't pick up their heels? Tsk. Put your shoes on. Let's go.
This made made me smile. It is like it was from a movie like "Something To Talk About" where Julia Roberts and Dennis Quaid do their little dance.
ReplyDeleteHow totally cool.
And I agree with FMM - he's a keeper!
Update -- my man, he's so macho -- going to work this morning someone abandoned their vehicle on the freeway, not in the emergency lane -- right smack dab in the middle of a five lane freeway (no emergency flashers, no flares, no hood or trunk lid up). My macho man started to passing a slower moving vehicle (we know now why it slowed down), as soon as he nosed over he struck the abandoned vehicle doing 55 mph. He said he couldn’t see when he struck the abandoned vehicle because of the explosion from the air bags, but he could hear metal screeching and rubber squealing. He hit the other car so hard he moved it three lanes to the right. He then steered his truck over three lanes managing not to strike or be struck by any other vehicles. He never screamed, he never lost control. My man he’s so macho.
ReplyDeleteI can't even begin to imagine your face. That looked like fun!
ReplyDeleteAs far as surprises, I learned in my early tweens that my mom was a kick ass billard player. My mom, the lady who packed our lunches, made our dinners and made sure we wore clean underwear when we left the house.
So we went to this house that had a billard table and she grabbed one of the thingamabobs to play and she won the firt game, then she played against men and won, and then friends were just lined up waiting their turn to play against my mom!
That was awesome!
Oh my, I'm sure that was a surprise. Last night on "America's
ReplyDeleteGot Talent" was a truly terrible performance of "Cotton Eyed Joe"...I laughed all the way through and thought of you. I'm sure Clint and his daughter were better than this guy was...and impromptu at that!
Melody: Don't remember that scene, but I can imagine; Jen's getting married in a year--think I can convince her that the father/daughter dance should be CEJ?
ReplyDeleteAZ: My GOD! I hope your macho man is ok; that story scares me!
MaryP: Oooo, knocking the socks off of even your kids, that's hard to do. Yay Your Mom!
Bettycat: You're kidding. What odd timing, I would have flipped if I'd caught that!
The Cotton-eyed Joe, as you can imagine, is very old school here in Texas. Congratulations on the house!
ReplyDeleteLOVE that song! Would LOVE to see Clint and Jennifer do it - and it soooooo should be their dance at her wedding!
ReplyDeleteA little late here, but wowie - you really didn't know that? Even I, a Jewish girl from the East Coast 'burbs...
ReplyDeleteGreat story. Love it! Yay Clint!
Hmmm. I guess I was surprised the first time Andrew made me dinner. It was the best meal I'd ever had - totally gourmet. Just not the same impact, though....
Don't know that pertic'lar version of Cotton Eyed Joe, but know it as a traditional American folk song. Michelle Shocked recorded a much tamer version and called it "Prodigal Daughter" on her Arkansas Traveler album. Yeah, I'm out of it too because I've never heard this Rednex version, which I rather like in a badonkadonk bahwitdabah kind of way. Can't recall that I've ever been shocked in this fashion before, but I really loved conjuring a vision of Clint performing three back flips ending in the splits.
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