Not The Solution I Expected

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As long-time readers know, I am an enthusiastic square dancer.

I go dancing several times a week (in addition to keeping up the blog). At my peak, I danced five nights a week, though in a major metropolitan area like San Diego you can go seven nights a week if you want to.

Lately, I’ve pulled back and have also focused on learning to round dance.

Over the summer, I pulled back to the extent that I didn’t regularly go to the club I’m formally a member of–the Alpine Squares–which meets on Friday nights. So I hadn’t been there in a while.

But I got a letter telling me about an important club meeting that was coming up on November 17, and I went.

After we were done dancing for the evening (and square dancing is MORE FUN THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE–join your local club AS SOON as they start a new class!), we held the meeting, and it became clear that the principal thing the club needed was to elect a new board that included new blood among the officers.

In most social clubs, people don’t want to put themselves forward as potential officers, and so getting new officers is hard.

I would have been willing to serve in any office that the club needed filled, but I was embarrassed to put myself forward since I hadn’t been attending regularly of late.

The meeting began, and during it I asked a number of questions that I hoped were helpful.

I was trying to steel my nerve to volunteer for secretary or treasurer, though I was embarrassed to do so.

Then people who had served as officers in the past volunteered for these positions, and I thought, "Well, that’s it for me. Those are the only positions I could conceivably volunteer for."

And then a former president of the club turned to me and said, "Jimmy, what I want to know is: Would you be willing to step forward for the office of president?"

I was flabbergasted.

I said I was hesitant to volunteer for anything, given my attendance over the summer, but I like the club and want to do whatever it needs. And maybe I would be a good secretary or treasurer, but I was willing to do whatever the club needed.

So she said, "All in favor of Jimmy being president say ‘Aye.’"

And people shouted "Aye!" and raised their hands.

After we talked about it for a bit, I said, "I’m not sure there was a majority," and they shouted "Aye!" all the louder and more people raised their hands.

At the end of the meeting there was a voice vote on the entire slate of candidates, and it passed without opposition.

And then everyone congratulated me and my fellow officers elect.

So now I’m the president elect.

Come January, I will be the new president of Alpine Squares and will do my best to serve the club.

But it’s something I was not expecting.

Please pray for me and support your local (INCREDIBLY FUN!) square dance club.

Author: Jimmy Akin

Jimmy was born in Texas, grew up nominally Protestant, but at age 20 experienced a profound conversion to Christ. Planning on becoming a Protestant seminary professor, he started an intensive study of the Bible. But the more he immersed himself in Scripture the more he found to support the Catholic faith, and in 1992 he entered the Catholic Church. His conversion story, "A Triumph and a Tragedy," is published in Surprised by Truth. Besides being an author, Jimmy is the Senior Apologist at Catholic Answers, a contributing editor to Catholic Answers Magazine, and a weekly guest on "Catholic Answers Live."

32 thoughts on “Not The Solution I Expected”

  2. Good on you Jimmy. I know you will be a great president.
    At least it might keep you away from taking photographs of mud for a while! lol
    I would also like to know, if it’s not too personal, how your diet is going. I sent the picture of the meal which you photographed on your stove to my daughter; I had never seen such a clean stove top! lol

  3. Of course, you can promote the club by introducing a liturgical square dancing program at your parish. But then you would have to write a chapter condemning yourself in the next edition of Mass Confusion. Oh, the dilemma!

  5. Congratulations! You are a man of many and varied interests! Probably the only multiple-dead-language speaking/radio personality/Catholic apologist extraordinaire/author/square dancer in the world!
    ‘thann

  7. Square dancing was a required PE class in my elementary school in Virginia. Of course we would make up our own calls like, “Take your partner, swing her around, throw her in the toilet and flush her dowwwwwwwnnnnn.

  9. Wow … Jimmy for President. Who woulda thunk?
    First, Square Dancing.
    Then, the United States of America
    Last stop, the first non-Cardinal elected Pope in a long, long time.

  10. Mr. President, please outline your square-dancing club’s position on the following important matters: 1) the border fence; 2) the war in Iraq; 3) Roman relations with the Orthodox; 4) flat tax; and 5) discipline in public schoools.
    Thank you.

  11. What Ed Peters really wants to know is where can he buy his Jimmy Akin for President! YEE-HAW! cowboy hat?
    Take care and God bless,
    Inocencio
    J+M+J

  12. The President-Elect’s spokesman has asked me to pass on his answers:
    1) The Border Fence: “I’m in favor of it; it keeps my neighbor’s dog out of my garden.”
    2) The War in Iraq: “Let’s win it!”
    3) Roman Relations with the Orthodox: “Only after marriage.”
    4)Flat Tax: “I’m against it; flats are enough of an aggravation without having to be taxed for having one.”
    5)Discipline in the Public Schools: “What discipline?”

  13. You inspire me to run right out and find a dance class! I think I’ll opt for ballroom dance though, after watching ‘Strictly Ballroom’. Maybe we’ll do square dancing next, if I can find a club.

  16. Jimmy,
    Congratulations to the president-elect! Just look out for the interns… (I think I’ll stop the post there.)

  17. I used to love square dancing when I was a munchkin, but now I don’t remember the steps. I wonder if they have a club here in DEE-troit?…
    Congrats on your election, Mr. President(-elect)! And for the record, I’d vote for you for other presidential positions as well. I want a Jimmy Akin for President cowboy hat! 🙂

  18. And then a former president of the club turned to me and said, “Jimmy, what I want to know is: Would you be willing to step forward for the office of president?”
    I was flabbergasted.
    JIMMY AKIN:
    I wonder if this is how Karol felt when he was asked to become Pope? ;^)

  21. Esau:
    Actually, the thing that sprang to mind was Pre-16 watching the guillotine fall at the most recent conclave.
    JIMMY AKIN, You’re both a Scholar and a Gentleman!
    Usually, it’s often the Humble (like our Blessed Mother) who acts thus when bestowed with such a great responsibility!
    Not that you’ll be helping to save the world anytime soon in this capacity, but, hey, who knows just where all this square dancing may lead to in your case! ;^)
    (Besides, I think with your great apologetics, in a way, you already are!)
    God Bless you, My Brutha!

  22. Being President is a lot of responsibility. Just have your glavel handy.
    Good luck.
    John F. Kennedy

  23. When can we expect to see “Square-dancing with the Apologists” on TV? Would you be a contestant or a judge?

  27. Jimmy, now that you are in a position of power, i’ll let you in on a little line that will get you out of every jam:
    “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?”

  28. Jimmy, I would pay a million dollars to see you on next season’s “dancing with the stars.”
    Watch out Emmitt! Here comes the real deal.

  29. I guess everyone figured you weren’t busy enough!
    Good luck as president.
    Square dancing sounds fun… but I am more into Swing Dancing myself (which is incredibly fun with lots of great people!)

  31. It’s basically ballroom dancing with a square dance caller.
    In other words, you’re doing ballroom dancing, but you don’t have to have the dance memorized in advance. The caller (known in round dancing as a “cuer”) gives you oral cues on what you’re supposed to do next.
    Square dancers like it because they’re already used to taking oral instruction during the dance on what you’re supposed to do next.
    See this link for more info:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_dance

  32. These dances seem to be the remains of what used to be a more organic and familiar society.
    It is one of those legitamate pleasures of the people that are rare. Now most people go to obscene dances.
    It says a lot of good things about you Mr. Jimmy.

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