Bev

I remember holding onto the Three Thousand Shillings, my first ever prize money, and smiling from ear to ear.

I was in senior one and had just won the school dancing competition. I held onto those green notes with pride, a symbol of my tenacity and ability.

Julia Majugo, who bore another name at the time, handed that money to me and said with a smile, "Congratulations." She was the Entertainment prefect.

I was Janet Jackson and Vanilla Ice. I was indestructible.

Three Thousand shillings at the time could buy three packs of crispy Bon Appetit chips. It was a lot of money for a young teenage dancer. Dancers of those days who were raised by Turbo and Paula Abdul were not that fussy.

All we needed was a floorboard to do our back spins and a pair of high tops for the running man.

My exercise routines comprise a lot of dancing.

We should never let go of what made us stand out as children. That talent that gave us a spark should always remain. If you loved art and were good at it, then as an adult, you should draw, paint or take part in an artistic hobby and if you don't, then there is a vital part of your life that is missing.

You know that there is something missing and yet you are unable to articulate it. It is art.

You may be a world class neuro surgeon, or the most reliable mechanic or salesperson and yet feel incomplete. That is because you have let go of the childhood hobbies or talents that gave you a spark.

It is not for nothing that you were called a dolphin when you were younger. Go back and swim. You don't need to compete but just dive back into the water and relive that unparalleled aquagasm.

It will not matter where I am thrust in the world. I will always write. I will always find time to dance and I will swim.