Tripping light fantastic at Corner Inn at Morgan

By Jerry Robinson

You won't find any hip hop, break dancing, not even dirty dancing but if you want to take your honey for a night of Jailhouse Rock, kick up your heels rhythms you will find it, alive and boisterous, every Tuesday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. right here at the Morgan Street junction in the Corner In and Lounge. The popular place was known for many years as Nobbies.

We went last week at the invitation of this town's liveliest hoofer, 94 year old Morey Skaret and his lovely hottie, Elsie Freeland, his date every day for the last 10 years. She is only 90 and he dated her when he was 17 but she married somebody else and broke his heart 46 years ago. Now she only goes dancing if he promises to have her home by 9 p.m.

This is not a gang of spring chickens. Most of them have been through three wars and have the scars to prove it.

Elsbeth and I, who in our youth once were eliminated from a Jitterbug contest because our feet touched the floor, didn't do a lot of stompin' as Beth is fresh out of surgery after her second new knee operation and I forgot to bring my glasses and did not want to make a spectacle of myself.

But we had a great time and saw a lot of old friends who don't let the word elderly mean they can't live it up on the dance floor. Never have I seen such rapturous joy on the faces of everyone there. Even Mary Lou Chandler, whom I have not seen since we both served on the White Center Jubilee day's celebration committee 50 years ago. This courageous lady is now wheelchair-bound but was out in the middle of the floor swinging her arms and shoulders with guys like Ray Rice, (he used to deliver fuel oil in the Lincoln Park area) in the 1950s after he came home from the Navy. He is only 84 but he and his wife Louise, still shake a mean leg when Lauren jams the keyboard.

We had no idea that this kind of shenanigans was still going on right under our noses and truly had an enchanted evening, which included a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

And we were able to straggle home by 9 p.m. bedtime. I don't know about Morey. He was still going strong when we left.

I hope he got Elsie home before curfew.