By Jan Landon
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Every once in a while something just clicks when a group of people come together. It’s difficult to define and even tougher to describe, but there is a special feeling this evening at Tallgrass Creek.

The Spring Fling has brought together dozens of Tallgrass Creek residents and Blue Valley North High School students for dancing, food, and fun. The room is packed, and everyone— young and young at heart— is having a great time.

A good mix

The disc jockey plays as teenagers and residents dance to classics like “Moon River,” line dance to “Kansas City,” and do the chicken dance, the polka, and the hokey pokey. When a slow song comes on, a few couples who have danced together for decades glide across the floor.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” comes on, and Tallgrass Creek residents Arthur Hawthorne and Joan Smith hold up smiley face signs. On the back of Hawthorne’s sign is the phrase “Don’t Worry,” and on the back of Smith’s is “Be Happy.” They are surrounded by more than a half dozen dancing and singing teenagers.

“I love it,” says Garrett Houghton, a 17-year-old junior at Blue Valley North. “I love dancing and I love being here. They have a lot more energy than I do.”

Emilio Rodriguez, a 16-year-old freshman, isn’t at all shy about asking residents to dance. He is on the dance floor most of the evening. He has spent time at retirement communities before and says he enjoys the interaction.

Having a blast

Hubert Jones, who has lived at Tallgrass Creek only about a week, is in the middle of the floor dancing up a storm. “I’m having a blast—the young people, the music, the fun,” he says. “It’s great to do something different.”