By Jacqueline Miller of boogersabroad.com

Wanda Ericsen, a 41-year-old mother-of-three, was recently awarded the soloist position at a twice-weekly Zumba class in the basement of her Lutheran church in suburban Detroit.

While the Zumba class did a grapevine to the right, Ericsen moved left and lagged behind a half-beat. “These bitches move too fast,” she explained, breathless.

While the other participants transitioned to a salsa, Ericsen continued to grapevine and then eventually eased into an awkward merengue. “I swear, just as soon as I get the hang of it, they go and switch to something else,” the soloist commented.

When the instructor led the class in combination that involved a hip-hop slide, shoulder-shimmy and hip-gyration, Ericson did not follow along. Instead she shook her head and guffawed.

“I swear, how does she even do that?” she asked, referring to the 29-year-old Zumba teacher. “It’s like she’s not even human.”

Ericson continued with her solo for another 40 minutes. After class, when asked about her newly awarded position, she just shrugged her shoulders. “You know, I’m never going to look like them, but who cares? It’s a really good workout, and that’s why I’m here.”

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About the Author

Jacqueline Miller is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Scary Mommy and Her View From Home. She lives in the Midwest and uses a pseudonym for her family’s privacy. Find her at www.boogersabroad.com and on Facebook.