The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG-Dr. Paula Strait wants folks of all ages, to come out for a Round Traditional Folk Dance at Waitsburg's Preston Park on Sunday evening, August 20. You could be one of those dancing in that circle. That is, if you accept Dr. Paula Strait's invitation to participate in this fun, healthy, and social event.

After practicing medicine for nearly 40 years, Dr. Strait, DO, retired to the Touchet Valley in April of this year. She brings a lifetime of concern about what really ails us.

"The Surgeon General has it right," Strait said, referring to Dr. Vivek Murthy's 2023 advisory, "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation."

Strait accepts this social diagnosis as confirmation of what she has had "eyes to see" her entire career.

Growing up in rural Iowa, Strait trained as a rural physician. She traveled extensively during her career, working in Alaska, Alabama, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Texas. She has also worked with Native American tribal nations. In all of this experience she speaks philosophically about health and wellness.

"The county you're born into determines your foundational health," she says. "You can make certain choices as you get older, but attitudes and behavior are first driven by that original cultural context you grew up in."

Higher levels of health risk are often connected to poor education, disconnection, and a sense of withdrawal.

The solution is social engagement and connection, according to Strait.

"All traditional family groups around the world do a friendship dance, a dance in the round. In America, Appalachian music is very firmly rooted in the circle dance. Remember as a child singing " 'Ring around the Rosie?' It's like that," she said.

Dancing in a circle allows participants to see each other and be seen. It can help teach children to see themselves and their relationship to their families and community.

"On a deep level it's social learning, and we're social beings," she said.

The Family Circle Dance party will include other activities, including a piñata full of sugar-free suprises. The fun will start at 5 p.m through 7 p.m. at Preston Park in Waitsburg.

Strait says she is not an extrovert, and has never "called" a dance (think square dancing) before. She said she will definitely be out of her comfort zone.

"But I won't be alone. Musicians from Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Project (TVAMP) will be there. The party is for families and anyone of any age. Bring the toddlers. There's no charge, it's free. The price you pay is getting to be seen and heard by others. You don't get to hide. And we'll have fun!"