On Valentine’s Day, Trooper Went Dancing. When I say “dancing” I really mean “shifting my weight from one foot to the other without raising them off the ground while strobe lights pulse”. I had not gone dancing since the early 1990’s, and even though, I would have been incredibly drunk then, my memory from those days is sufficient to notice several significant difference to today’s nightclub scene.

Text Messaging:
Half the people are dancing and drinking, the other half are texting. In fact, half the people on the floor are texting while they dance. And when I say “people” I really mean girls, because I can’t recall any guys texting.

Clusters of girls would be gathered around an out-held cell device as they co-wrote messages to their friends. I suspect most of the messages are: “WERE DANCING. GET HERE BITCH?”. As the evening wore on these would have become: “WHERE R U?” Near the end of the evening, the girls on their own were frantically pressing keys likely sending texts to AWOL boyfriends asking why they hadn’t called and informing them “IM COMING TO C U”. The only thing worse than a drunk text, is a drunk late night drop-in.

Guys Dancing:
At several points in the evening, I saw guys dancing WITHOUT GIRLS. And they don’t keep their arms bent firmly, hands clenched in fists at belt level. Their arms actually shoot over their heads swaying back and forth. I would not have been surprised to see ‘jazz hands” at the ends.

In the 90’s, the only reason a guy had to move any part of his body in time to the music was to make time with a pretty girl, and maybe rub up against her a little. I remember guys dancing by themselves on the dancefloor; back then we called them drunks. Now guys are dancing for the sake of dancing itself. Guys dancing at the side of the room, guys on the dance floor, even guys ‘bustin’ a move’ in little clusters amid the other dancers. Weird.

Tattoos:
Tattoos are everywhere: arms, necks, bellybuttons and lower backs. They are as much accessory as a purse or hair gel.

Guys drinking:
When I was in my 20’s, guys drank beer. That was all. Bartenders had it easy. Now guys are walking around with tumblers filled with orange, purple or pink liquids. They nurse their beverage through thin cocktail straws. Not only do I drink beer because I like it, it’s a great “volume for the dollar” beverage. I could never make those little drinks last through the night on my meagre budget.

Anyone else notice these phenomenon?