Angie plies her trade
I regard courage as the supreme human virtue, and this lovely and remarkable young woman has it. This is Miss Angie, a dance instructor at the Fred Astaire studio in Chandler, Arizona, whom I met several weeks ago when I signed up for lessons, which at first were for me and later included my wife. Angie quickly earned both my affection and respect, and her stature, in my estimation, only continues to grow. I believe in angels, both the supernatural and mortal varieties, and she has become the latest one to bless and enrich my life.
Angie is only 26 years old, but has battled some major health problems during the course of her young life. She told me when I enrolled in the course that she had undergone a serious bout of clinical depression, during which she gained about 65 pounds and moved in with her father, where she intended to just sort of give up on life. Someone persuaded her to take up dancing once again, which she did, and she credits it with saving her life. Angie has also had two heart attacks, including a massive one which occurred during a public event and nearly gained the upper hand.
I'm sure Angie had moments when she indulged in self-pity, which most of us do at one time or another. (I certainly have.) But she never made that a permanent part of her life. She is blessed with a vibrant and outgoing personality, and talent galore, all of which she has used to enrich the lives of other people -- obviously including myself. She told me last weekend that she wants to have children someday, and does what she must to ensure that she will be around for them.
I hope this and the other two pictures of Angie that I am posting today will get a lot of views, less for whatever technical or artistic merit they might have than for the story which accompanies the images. I commend her example to one and all, as one who refused to be defeated by life, but instead picked herself up and embraced it. And my, how she did embrace it!
As a footnote, I took this series of pictures at the dance studio after Sheila and I had a lesson with Angie. I wanted something that would capture her personality and joie de vivre, and I believe I had some success with that. I'm sure Angie would pose for me, but she is so busy all the time that I have never had the opportunity to ask her to do so.
Angie plies her trade
I regard courage as the supreme human virtue, and this lovely and remarkable young woman has it. This is Miss Angie, a dance instructor at the Fred Astaire studio in Chandler, Arizona, whom I met several weeks ago when I signed up for lessons, which at first were for me and later included my wife. Angie quickly earned both my affection and respect, and her stature, in my estimation, only continues to grow. I believe in angels, both the supernatural and mortal varieties, and she has become the latest one to bless and enrich my life.
Angie is only 26 years old, but has battled some major health problems during the course of her young life. She told me when I enrolled in the course that she had undergone a serious bout of clinical depression, during which she gained about 65 pounds and moved in with her father, where she intended to just sort of give up on life. Someone persuaded her to take up dancing once again, which she did, and she credits it with saving her life. Angie has also had two heart attacks, including a massive one which occurred during a public event and nearly gained the upper hand.
I'm sure Angie had moments when she indulged in self-pity, which most of us do at one time or another. (I certainly have.) But she never made that a permanent part of her life. She is blessed with a vibrant and outgoing personality, and talent galore, all of which she has used to enrich the lives of other people -- obviously including myself. She told me last weekend that she wants to have children someday, and does what she must to ensure that she will be around for them.
I hope this and the other two pictures of Angie that I am posting today will get a lot of views, less for whatever technical or artistic merit they might have than for the story which accompanies the images. I commend her example to one and all, as one who refused to be defeated by life, but instead picked herself up and embraced it. And my, how she did embrace it!
As a footnote, I took this series of pictures at the dance studio after Sheila and I had a lesson with Angie. I wanted something that would capture her personality and joie de vivre, and I believe I had some success with that. I'm sure Angie would pose for me, but she is so busy all the time that I have never had the opportunity to ask her to do so.