Maybe our current square dance programs are like an OLD PAIR of SHOES. Even though they might be slightly out of STYLE, we're very COMFORTABLE with them. We're SO comfortable that we will believe ANYTHING before we believe there is something WRONG with our shoes.
If someone has PROBLEMS with THEIR old shoes, it's because they aren't WEARING the shoes CORRECTLY. If you wear your shoes as they were DESIGNED to be worn, you won't have ANY problems. Things will be SO GOOD that you could not possibly IMAGINE any IMPROVEMENT. You'd never want to even TRY NEW SHOES, because your OLD shoes are the VERY LAST SHOES you will EVER WANT.
Even though your shoes were designed TWENTY-FIVE YEARS ago, you are comfortable with the idea that the people who designed them knew far MORE about TODAY'S WALKING CONDITIONS than anyone TODAY could ever HOPE to KNOW.
Not ONLY will you NEVER part with your COMFORTABLE OLD SHOES, you will DEMAND that NO ONE ELSE get any new shoes EITHER. If YOUR 25-year-old shoes are getting the job done, then EVERYONE should wear the SAME OLD SHOES.
If someone wants to design NEW SHOES, you are automatically OPPOSED, because THEY didn't ASK for your PERSONAL OPINION about the new DESIGN, therefore the NEW SHOES cannot POSSIBLY be any better than the old shoes which ...
... WAIT a doggone minute!! 25 years ago, the founding fathers of SHOO-ER-LAB didn't ask for YOUR opinion EITHER! And way back then, there must have ALSO been lots of people who were STUCK IN THE PAST and AFRAID OF CHANGE and comfortable with OLD SHOES.
Yet, somehow or other, 25 years ago, everyone got NEW SHOES.
HOW did they DO it? How did THEY get new shoes, when WE have tried for DECADES with NO RESULTS? What did people have, 25 years ago, that WE DON"T have today?
Somehow, callers reached widespread AGREEMENT 25 years ago. CONSENSUS is the missing ingredient. If WE can agree, compromise, and work TOGETHER, THEN we can ALL have new shoes.
Our old shoes were GREAT, back in their TIME. What kind of NEW shoes will be equally GREAT for the FUTURE? What's the first STEP? (Get it?? Shoes? Step? Aw, never mind) What if all the RISK were removed? Can we agree to let a committee go ahead and design NEW SHOES? Instead of saying that the new shoes don't FIT, can we wait until after we TRY THEM ON? If not, can we at least LOOK AT THE NEW SHOES, after they're created, before deciding if we LIKE THEM?
There's NO WAY that NEW shoes will initially fit as well or be as comfortable as OLD SHOES. But eventually, the NEW SHOES of today will become the comfortable OLD SHOES of tomorrow!
The bright side is that we're all in this TOGETHER. We've all worn the same OLD SHOES for 25 years. Let's all work TOGETHER. If we're LUCKY, we will receive as many years of enjoyment from the NEW SHOES as we have received from our OLD SHOES.
Nasser "we all deserve new shoes" Shukayr