's motd Tuesday April 27, 2010

[Guest guest]

THE NEWEST GENERATION

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

And that generation, my friends is...today's kids! I love 'em! I'm telling you, wherever I go, kids recognize me. Their mothers, grandmothers and yes, in some cases, even their great grandmothers have exercised with me. (LOL!) So as you can see, many of today's kids have grown up watching me.

They've watched me dance around in my tank tops and candy-striped shorts for years now. And sometimes, their parents have even dressed up as me for Halloween! So when they see me walking down the street, it's like they've known me all their lives and are never shy about saying hello.When I was in Washington last week for the press conference announcing the passage of the Fit Kids Bill, I saw all of these children on the steps of the US Capitol Building. There must have been a couple hundred of them. (What a great place for a school field trip!) As they saw me coming, I began singing and dancing for them and oh, they all just howled with glee at my antics.I took pictures with them, I kissed their teachers and told them all about our Fit Kids Bill that had just passed in the House of Representatives the day before. All of the kids had big smiles on their faces as I shared the good news with them. And of course, I reminded them to always take good care of themselves.

As I I was walking down the steps of the Capitol, I ran into a children's choir group, along with many of their teachers and choir director. I went up to the group and said hello to them. The kids were all laughing with me, it was so much fun. Then I just had to ask, could I sing a number with them? They were all happy for me to join them! The director cued the choir and we burst into a rousing rendition of America The Beautiful. And boy...were we good! It was a very emotional moment for me and, I must say, those kids had brilliant voices. We sounded just like a choir in church! After the press conference, I headed back to the airport. When I arrived there, this time, I ran into a group of teenage athletes who were heading to a sporting event. When they spotted me, they all wanted to take photos with me or have me sign something for them. They even told me about how much they liked seeing me on TV when they were growing up.

No matter where I go in these United States, I always meet lots of kids. And I'll tell you something else, I'm always amazed by the number of children and teenagers who show up at my classes here in the US and Canada. They like to congregate near the front of the audience and...they know all of my moves! When I ask them to join me on stage and dance with me in a number, they go nuts and really get down with me when they're up on stage! (I'm always impressed!)What a wonderful feeling it is to be so accepted by the kids. See, when I was a kid myself, I was often rejected by others my own age. So it's all come full circle for me. And I hope I live long enough to see today's children grow up, be healthy and have healthy kids of their own. It all begins with today's newest generation.

If you have kids, say hello to them from me!Love,