Hello May!

In the fifth grade I was chosen as one of 6 students from my elementary school to participate in the Maypole Dance. I was so excited to be picked in front of others and getting to walk around a pole in a pretty dress while weaving ribbons together sounded like loads of fun to this ten year old girl. We even made the paper. I have the article somewhere...I think. But, it's ok if I lost it because I'm still famous in my head. Ha!

I was on the news once which totally makes me even more famous. For spelling a lot of words correctly, but that's a story for another day. Oh, and I was wearing a one piece bubble suit. I had NO style.

Anyway, at the time I didn't know what the purpose of a Maypole is. Ok, let's be honest, I still don't know what the purpose of a Maypole is so what did I do? I checked out that handy dandy website Wikipedia, of course! I love Wikipedia. It's so...well, handy.

Usually, I'm quite pleased with the info I find over at The W, but today I'm a little worried because of phrases such as these: viewed them as having phallic symbolism, and these: the origin of the maypole dance began in ancient Babylon during sex worship and fertility rites.

Phallic symbolism??? Sex worship??? Fertility rites??? REALLY??? I barely know what the word phallic means today and it's been 18 years since I danced that (apparently) dirty little ribbon dance.

I wonder if those public school teachers of mine knew what they were doing? I wonder if they had read the real Encyclopedia since my beloved Wikipedia did not yet exist? I wonder if they were all hoping to become pregnant that Spring day so they had us dress up in our Sunday best and prance around a fertility pole while waving ribbons in the air? I sure hope not...

Happy May! Go dance around a Maypole today. It's fun even if it is a bit dirty... ;-)