In October 1998, Damon Crumley asked me to be his wife. I said yes.

On April 10, 1999 we said our vows and marched out of Chattanooga Valley Presbyterian Church as husband and wife. And then we went and partied with a bunch of people who were eating, fellowshipping, and watching us dance. Not a lot of people joined in on the dancing, but that didn’t matter (we aren’t a dancing bunch). Damon and I danced to Bing Crosby’s “Swinging on a Star” as our first dance.

We had practiced dancing at his office, in the evenings. Damon even had one of those books with paper steps you lay out on the floor. Damon would lead and I would step on his toes. I wasn’t very good at following. But we got that box step down and on our wedding day we tentatively twirled around the fellowship hall.

Now we tentatively twirl around in our lives, usually making up steps as we go along. Instead of paper steps, we pray to God and look for direction in the Bible. Damon tries to lead and I try to follow, but we still step on each other’s toes. But that’s ok, because we haven’t stopped dancing. And we may never stop.

Would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a mule?

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
Kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
He’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a pig?

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
His shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He’s fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don’t care a feather or a fig
You may grow up to be a pig

Or would you like to swing on a star
Carry moonbeams home in a jar
And be better off than you are
Or would you rather be a fish?

A fish won’t do anything, but swim in a brook
He can’t write his name or read a book
To fool the people is his only thought
And though he’s slippery, he still gets caught
But then if that sort of life is what you wish
You may grow up to be a fish
A new kind of jumped-up slippery fish

And all the monkeys aren’t in the zoo
Every day you meet quite a few
So you see it’s all up to you
You can be better than you are
You could be swingin’ on a star

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