{"id":491,"date":"2013-04-23T00:41:43","date_gmt":"2013-04-23T00:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/redpincushion.me\/?p=491"},"modified":"2017-04-20T14:19:06","modified_gmt":"2017-04-20T14:19:06","slug":"jazzercise-empathy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redpincushion.us\/blog\/happy-life\/jazzercise-empathy\/","title":{"rendered":"Jazzercise and empathy: Reflections on my first year of teaching"},"content":{"rendered":"

I stood by the back counter at my Jazzercise center on Sunday morning, saying goodbye to each customer by name. I work hard to know customers’ names, and to talk to each one before and after class. I’ve been teaching Jazzercise for a year (today is my one-year anniversary!<\/a>) and it has added a joy-filled dimension to my life I never expected. Teaching Jazzercise is fun, yes, but it’s more than that. These people, my Jazzercise customers, are my family, my friends.<\/p>\n

There’s more: I need these people. In my stressful, highly-scrutinized job at Stanford, I find that the intensity of the moment, the urgency of the work, draws me away from deeper connections with people. It’s my fault—I have a tendency to let Professional Amy clobber Personal Amy (and the fact that I refer to them as separate entities tells you a lot, I think). It’s too easy for me to dive head-first into a realm of work that does not require me to engage with people on an emotional level.<\/p>\n

But my Jazzercise clients don’t let me disengage emotionally, and I need that. It’s not that they force me to care about them, but the way they open themselves up when they come to Jazzercise makes it impossible for me not to care. They bring their strengths, their vulnerabilities, their excitement, and their fears to the dance floor.<\/p>\n

Some come to the dance floor in pain—physical or emotional pain—and they dance their hearts out. Some are shy, but they find their voice on the dance floor. Some look for community, some need “me time,” some find a kindred spirit. Some face toxic home environments, toxic work environments, crumbling relationships. Some have lost spouses suddenly, or after many years of battling disease. Some are dying of cancer.<\/p>\n

Empathy is connecting to the lived experiences of others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jazzercise brings us together and gives us the chance to nurture empathy. This is something I need—we all need—but it scares the hell out of me.\u00a0Caring is scary. It puts you front and center for feeling pain. In fact, it guarantees that you will feel pain, and heartbreak, and sadness, and loneliness. But it also guarantees that you will feel joy, and pride, and connection, and love.<\/p>\n

Empathy is connecting to the lived emotions of others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every time we experience an event like last week’s bombing in Boston, I’m reminded of how important empathy is. It is the absence of empathy that nudges people to disregard the value of a child’s life. Absence of empathy makes people feel self-righteous enough to correct something they think is “wrong” about someone else. Absence of empathy leads to anger, hatred, vengeance. Absence of empathy dehumanizes.<\/p>\n

Empathy is connecting to the humanity of others.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don’t have any great words of wisdom or answers to offer. I guess I just want to thank my Jazzercise customers for sharing your beautiful humanity with me. It’s been a wonderful first year with you and I hope that we will enjoy many more years of dancing…together.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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