Harry's Dance Of Joy

Harry stepped back as Gretchen approached him. What was he afraid of? Instantly, he realized that he was vulnerable…but to what. She wasn’t going to hurt him. But she could see into him, through his thick white coat, his burley muscles, his John Wayne persona.

Harry felt defensless. He had no weapon to counteract this threat to his masculinity. His shield had been penetrated, the force was no longer with him.

“What are you doing?” He asked lamely

“Why, Harry, are you nervous? Am I too close for comfort?” With that, Gretchen moved even closer.

“No, of course not. I’m Harry the Polar Bear. Harry fears nothing!” A low defensive growl rumbled from his clenched jaws.

Gretchen stepped back. Her look said it all. No longer was there that softness around her eyes, that gentleness in her smile. Her seductive mysterfy evaporated before his eyes.

“Wait!” he stammered. “Don’t leave me!”

Gretchen stared back…waiting.

“I’m Harry…that part is true. You see this macho persona I wear like a cloak? It’s like Superman’s cape. With it, I am the Bear of Steel. Without it, I’m nothing. I’ve never taken it off because I’m afraid of what you’ll see.”

“Why don’t you just give it a try? Let’s see what’s underneath. What do you have to lose…whatever it is, it’ll be better than what I see now – this big hairy super-sexed goofball who can only express himself with a bellow.”

Harry starred back defiantly. Gretchen held his gaze fearlessly. She wonderd what was going through his young mind. A long time passed.

Slowly, almost imperceptively, Gretchen saw the shift. First, there was a very slight softening around Harry’s eyes. The fierce defiance that danced there
previously began to fade. In its place appeared a gentleness mixed with just a trace of humor. A smile slowly crept across his face.

Gretchen watched Harry’s body relax. She said nothing waiting for the transformation to continue.

A soft energy encompassed Harry. Gretchen could clearly see a beautiful tourquoise aura surround him. His smile broadened.

Gretchen smiled back.

Harry reached behind him and symbolically removed the cape that had been his source of strength and masculinity for so long. Now there was no protection…he was on his own. What really existed inside him? He didn’t know and…it really didn’t matter. Intuitively, he knew it was good, had value. It was beautiful and he loved it. It was him.

“Dance with me, Harry” Gretchen said as she took his paw.

“There’s no music.”

“We’ll make our own. Can’t you hear it?”

And he did. It swirled around them in a beautiful cacophony of sound and light. The rythem was intoxicating. Harry put his arm around Gretchen and began to move with her.

Gretchen looked back. “What do you think now, Harry?”

“It sure beats walking around like John Wayne.”

It sure does.