Arnold Gets His Rhythm Back

Sometime between 7:00 a.m. and Noon, Arnold Moore lost his rhythm. He couldn't exactly remember when it was, but he knew how it happened. He was crossing at the corner of Main Street and Happiness Lane. He was performing his normal soft shoe routine for the passing motorist when he stumbled on the curb and fell into the arms of Officer Maggie Malone.

"Sorry, Office Malone, I didn't see you standing there." He said as he got up off the ground. "May I help you up?"

"No thank you." She pushed herself up off the sidewalk. Taking her ticket book out, she began writing a traffic citation. "I'm sighting you for dancing and disorderly conduct." She handed him the ticket and walked away.

Looking down at the ticket, he shook his head. His court date was in three day, the same time he was supposed to audition for the dance studio Get Rhythm. "Damn!" Removing his smart phone from his jacket pocket, he dialed the studio, and changed the audition date.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, he attempted to dance down Happiness Lane, but kept stumbling over the non-existent cracks in the sidewalk. And, to make matters worse, the word of some nonsensical song reverberated through his mind.

For the next three days random lines, from Shoe Shine Boy by the group One Hit Wonders kept echoing through his mind and coming out of his mouth. Each time one of the lines ran through his mind or came out of his mouth, he stumbled over something that apparently didn't exist. By the time his court date arrived, he was ready to give up the idea of becoming a dance instructor, and move to a deserted alto in the Pacific Ocean.

On his court date, Arnold went to the court house, entered the court room of Judge Merry Golightly, and waited for the bailiff to call his name.

"Will, Mr. Arnold Moore, please come forward." The Bailiff said.

Arnold got up. went forward, and sang off key and as loud as possible, "when you get the blues..."

The judge responded, with a wicked smile. "Mr. Moore, I'm not auditioning for a Broad Way play, so performing my favorite One Hit Wonder song isn't going to help your case."

Arnold responded with, "I'll give you a shine at a nickel per shoe that'll be worth a million dollars for you.

The Judge shook her head, looked at the bailiff and ask, "Why do I always get the people wanting to plead insanity?"

The bailiff shook shrugged his shoulder.

"Mr. Moore," the Judge said, "could you show me the dance that got you this ticket."

Arnold nodded his head, began his soft shoe routine, and stumbled over an invisible piece of lint.

"Case dismissed," the Judge struck her desk with her gavel. "Next case!"

Outside the court house, Arnold took a deep breath, and began to dance the soft shoe. He danced all the way to the bus stop without stumbling or falling down.