By Alan B. Combs

Fred and Ethel were approaching the end of their years. In the early years of their marriage, they had been very avid dancers.

Tragically, the music they loved went down the drain with the advent of Elvis, the Beatles, and the Stones. This was not music to which they could dance. In fact, it would be hard to say that this abominable stuff was actually music.

But to their delight, the wheel turned during the 90s. The music they loved made a resurgence. Les Brown, Benny Goodman, and similar bands became popular once more. The “Big Band Sound” was in, again.

In celebration, Fred and Ethel decided to enter in a dance marathon that featured this wonderful old music. Their children and grandchildren did not think this was a good idea. They all felt that it would be too exhausting for someone their age. Fred and Ethel, however, were adamant in their plan to compete, saying, “We may not win. We may not even finish, but we will go down swinging.”