I Just Want to Bang on the Drum All Day

I finally made it up to Camp Yak-a-Lot. Galadriel drove me up to the cabin and showed me a bunk in a dark corner, which is my preference. I realized immediately I would not be going up and down from the cabin to the social center or whatever you want to call it. The center was where meals were held and general gatherings took place.

Galadriel introduced me to her nearest and dearest friends.

After dinner, we (as in "all 70 of us") pulled the tables back and put the chairs into two circles. Soon, a woman came in, carrying huge round containers and boxes and she quickly unpacked at least 70 drums, triangles, cowbells, cymbals, and blocks of wood. She distributed them in the chairs with an obvious pattern to the placement and then called us in.

All but the most reluctant (including Delores, one of Galadriel's friends) joined the circle and we all began banging on our drums just to hear what it sounded like.

I was fascinated and more than eager. Having been brought up to not make one more sound than necessary, I was being urged to deliberately make noise and at times to make noises as loudly as I could.

The instructor was probably in her mid-50s and most notably did not have bat-wing upper arms. Her arms were firm and muscular and I thought if there was any good reason for taking up drumming, this was it.

I had a bodhran-type drum and was very happy to bang the hell out of it. The instructor set the rhythm and we all followed her lead.

One of the things she told us is that everyone has a rhythm to how she says her own name. We were to say it out loud until we could hear that rhythm. Everyone else's was flowy, up and down like hills, but mine was sharp and ends in a half-beat. We went around the group, each one drumming the rhythm of her name.

Then she showed us that everyone had a rhythm in her laughter and told us all to laugh. I was sitting next to Galadriel and her laugh cracked me up. I started laughing, listened to my own laughter, and laughed at that. And kept laughing at Galadriel. And Galadriel and I basically fell on each other's shoulders, we laughed so hard. I couldn't catch my breath. I was crying, I was laughing to hard. And I'd only had half a glass of wine.

If the light had been lower, if I'd had more to drink, if we had been at a campfire outside, I would have been dancing around when the instructor urged people to get up and dance. Nobody did.

It was great. I'd always wanted to play with drums but it seemed like a "boy" thing. But Camp Yak-a-Lot was girls only, with the exception of the caretaker.

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Katy is home and feeling better. I'm feeling better that she's home. She was quite a hit at the vet's office but I know she's happier to be home. And I'm happy that we're both home. Ah...