I was approached today with an offer to join a pole dancing class. As in stripper pole, not as in Polish polkas. The friend who invited me found an instructor whose studio has 6 poles set up for 6 students in a class, and the instructor has agreed to close up the class and make it a private session if my friend could bring 5 other friends along to fill up the class. I’ve heard it’s great exercise and all, and I’ve always loved poles (I was a little monkey when I was a kid), I can climb them, manuever around them, spin from them, had spent hours of recess and lunch times in junior high flipping around on them with my friends. So it should be fun.

Well, here are the cons. I don’t like following trends, and I’m well aware that “pole dancing” is some stupid Hollywood trend thing now where stars like Terri Hatcher rave about its results on her body and psyche. I don’t like strippers, so do I want to do what they do? I don’t have a stripper pole myself, so where would I practice or use any of this, short of onstage at questionable local clubs during Amateur Night? And do I really want to spend $200 for a 10-week class that won’t amount to anything productive when I finish, i.e. I can’t be at a house party going, “Hey, put this song on, I’m gonna POLE DANCE! Right up against this rain gutter pipe!” At least with belly dancing, I can use the moves without needing major hardware.