There he was, dancing all over the stage like he did 48 years ago. It was Chubby Checker, twisting like crazy.

Remember the song called The Twist? Did you dance The Twist? Can you dance that way now? I remember, and I danced like that, but can I do it now? Only in my dreams!

Well, let me tell you, Chubby can twist and move like he's 20 instead of 69. He was a guest on a morning news show that I normally don't watch. I'm glad I tuned in last Thursday.

He not only sang the song called The Twist, he went from that to amp"Let's Twist Again Like We Did Last Summeramp" and ended with amp"The Limbo Rock.amp" He was a tad short of breath, and he didn't limbo quite as low as he use to, but he didn't require oxygen after that performance. That's impressive!

amp"Come here, Ruble! Hurry!amp" I shouted. I had to have someone come and see Chubby, not just dancing, but twisting and singing at that age. Well, my husband was not impressed.

amp"Good for him,amp" he said. amp"But we don't know what shape he'll be in tomorrow morning.amp"

Ruble is the ever-sensible thinker, but I was still impressed. amp"He can lay on a heating pad and feast on the memory of that performance forever,amp" I replied.

As I deal with weak, arthritic ankles and knees that sometimes need oiling, dancing is something I do only in my heart now. But as a teenager I so enjoyed dancing.

I tell my grandchildren about how my friends and I would move furniture around so we could dance in the living room when I was growing up. I can tell it is more than their minds can comprehend. They see me reach for hand rails to help me climb steps and apply amp"miracle rubamp" when the pain in my knees really sets in, so how could GranVale have ever danced?

The torn ligament I had back in the winter that gave me such trouble and required me to use a cane for awhile really got their attention. Anna and Kennedy would try to assist me, bless their hearts. I understand why they might think my dancing stories are from the same book of Fairy Tales as Snow White and Handsel and Gretel.

But if they could have seen me back in the day, they would know that GranVale and her friends could do the twist...and the bop...and the stroll, the two step, the box step, and, if there was a square dance at school, we could amp"be squareamp" and do that as well.

Chubby Checker gives hope to all who get senior discounts on coffee and have amp"laugh lines.amp" I'm thinking of choreographing a new dance. I'll call it amp"The Recliner Chair Rock.amp"

All that's required is to have enough pep to pull the lever that makes your recliner move up and back. It could be a hit!

...Or a miss.

LaVale Mills is publisher of The Red Bay News, P.O. Box 1339, Red Bay, AL 35582.