General Discussion

Clearly, in my school at least, they were making an effort to introduce the concept of boys and girls treating each other with respect. In 7th and 8th grades, the kids are 12 and 13 years old, mostly. While most of the girls were already in the throes of puberty, most of the boys were not. Still, teaching both how best to behave in social settings seemed important to the school.

Mostly, it worked, I think. I got the point right away. For me, it was clear that those girls who were all taller than I was were going to be an important part of my life soon. I knew that, somehow. So, I really welcomed the idea of learning how to behave and be a nice guy. So, I learned to dance. I learned how to be polite. Even though I wasn't really that interested, I knew that I soon would be. So I listened and learned.

It paid off. I was never at a loss for what to do in social situations where romance was a possibility. I had paid attention and I got along just fine with those girls, once I was taller than they were and wanting to get closer to them.

So, those dancing classes were a good idea, I think.