Hey, Mr DJ...

Rewind to April 1, 1993, I'm a junior at the University of Alabama and it's spring break in Panama City Beach, FL. I'm there with a couple of friends from college and as was the ritual back then, a trip to PCB wouldn't be complete without a visit to Club La Vela, one of those dance clubs well known by all spring breakers. Keeping in mind that I'm the son of a Baptist minister, I was the first one suggesting, um...I mean resisting, that we make this ritualistic visit.

By chance, The University of Montevallo (you've undoubtedly heard their slogan - "Where the women are women, and the men are too!"), also happened to be on spring break that week. And, by chance, a young coed from there, named Katie, happened to be in PCB and at Club La Vela at the same time.

Somehow, thank God, our paths crossed that night. If you ask her, she'll say I stalked her until I somehow worked up the courage to ask her to dance and we've been dancing ever since. If you ask me, I'll tell you that she spotted me across a crowded room and said to herself, "I've gots to have me some of that!"

I like Katie's version of our story much better than mine. After 15 years of marriage, we're still dancing. Sometimes it feels more like break dancing than it does a slow dance; but any family with children, dual careers, and a mortgage will understand. The important thing is that the music is still playing and we're out on the floor....together.

For a couple of years now, the dance seems to have turned into a shuffle. We've always been a family that seems to know what to do and where to go, but have somehow fallen into a funk. The last two years have seen a new baby, job change, moving (twice), a new town, new church, our oldest starting school, leaving old friends and finding new friends...basically a life's worth of change in 24 months. The change has taken its toll on us, both physically and mentally...up to the point where we've both asked if it's even worth going any further. Thankfully, we've both answered that question in the affirmative.

I don't know what the future holds, but I know I want to keep on dancing.

Mr DJ, hit it....