By SUSAN DROMEY HEETER, Joyful Musings
Happy Greetings, Joyful Musers – today, I hope you find yourself hopeful, content, enjoying the transformation from mud season to the flowering spring. And, dear Musers, if there were a pattern exemplifying this spirit of joy, I’d go with polka dots.
I’m a fan of the dots, they sparkle on most anything: ladybugs, mushrooms, eeny teeny bikinis. And, most recently, polka dots were in abundance at the annual Féria de Sevilla in Spain- a celebration of all things flamenco, Andalusian, Spanish. I had the opportunity to travel to this event and it did not disappoint; polka dots were everywhere.
And, I learned, the reason polka dots dominate the looks of flamenco dresses, fans and shoes, according to strangersguide.com is that “flamenco dresses carry the nomadic legacy of the Roma people dating back to eleventh century Rajasthan, when they sewed small circular mirrors onto their dresses to ward off bad spirits.”
Who knew?
Polka dots reflect joy, vibrancy, life itself. They bring levity to just about anything. Years ago, well, decades, I traveled to Prague soon after the Berlin Wall came down. Prague looked gray, as if coming out of a long, long sleep. Certainly it was beautiful but the air contained a sense that abundance and freedom had not been readily available. What was available were great deals on crystal and china. And I bought a red polka dot tea set for $5.00. Friends and I drank countless cups of tea from that set and it reminds me of a beautiful purchase as well as a memory of joy. I suppose the polka dots were indeed warding off bad spirits and, yes, they still do.
When I sat down to write this column, I asked Google to play, “Polka Dots”. I had no idea what would play, but, of course, polka music soon met my ears. I can’t say I listen to polka very often but today it seems right. Perhaps I’ll dance in my polka dot pajama bottoms and drink tea from my red polka dot cup. If nothing else, I’m sure evil spirits have no way of getting past that.
Be well, Musers, do notice the polka dots in your life and if there is a void, well, plan to attend the Féria of Sevilla, you’ll be enveloped by joy and life itself – the essence of a joyful polka dot world.
Susan Dromey Heeter is a writer from Newmarket who recently let her hair go au natural white. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards.
