Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Adventure Bowl
Flying Trapeze Girl

Is your life stale? Boring? Are you stressed? Job, boyfriend, back fat got you down?

Then you need to do something crazy, spontaneous and out of your comfort zone in order to remember what is so easy to forget...

YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT TO DO.

As most of you know, when life was bringing me down and I found it easier to crawl under the covers with a bag of Cheetos than face all my problems, I made a promise to try one fun, "get out of my rut" (or at least my bed) activity a week that would shake my life up and remind me who I was.

Last week, out of the Adventure Bowl, I picked, "Today you will take trapeze lessons."

What really surprised me the most is how high 30 feet can feel up off the air. (Or maybe it was 1000 feet... okay, it was only 30.) My heart started to pound like it knew something I didn't.

"Um, what is your refund policy?"

The cashier raised his eye brow, "If you don't wanna do it, don't do it." Oh, I want to do it, I said. I would just like to see your past ten years of safety records. That seems like a normal request, right? It's not that I'm scared (I am so fucking scared), I just want to be safe. He rolled his eyes. There was a challenge in that eye roll.

Fine, I'll do it. Just to prove it to eye roll-y guy. But just to be safe, I tucked my insurance card in my side pocket. Along with directions to the nearest hospital.

The instructor at the top had me chalk my hands and then he wanted me to inch out on the platform. I use the word "platform" loosely because it was about half the size of a dental bib.

"Um, what is your refund policy again?"

The instructor was amazingly encouraging but there was no way I was jumping to my death and then paying for it.

No. No way. Forget it.

I felt chunky. I felt weak in my body. I knew I could swing but I'd never be able to dangle from my legs or pike up or grab the opposite swing. It wasn't going to happen. For me, if I'm going to do something, I want to do it big. I want to be perfect. I want to do what all these other girls are doing.

I said: "I'll never be able to do anything but swing."
My instructor said: "You have to start somewhere."

Right. Okay. Light bulb moment. Oprah Ah-Ha moment. The whole point in coming was to try something different. To be thrilled. To see a fear and kick it in the face.

To let go.

So I did.

I let go.

And IT WAS AWESOME. Amazing. There are no words. I was so damn proud of myself. Smiling as I free fell into the net.

Do it. Take a trapeze lesson. Or a dance lesson. Or something, anything you haven't done before. Lose yourself then gain yourself. Have that feeling of "Yes, I did it!"

And then imagine all the things you are afraid of, and then know you don't have to be afraid of them anymore because you did this... this impossible thing that you thought you'd never do because of the fear.

I feel so strong today. Strong, like I want to take that incredible trapeze feeling and go after some things I've been afraid to do. Stand up for myself with the boss, the ex-boyfriend... and that lady who keeps letting her dog crap on my lawn.

Look out world!


This post is dedicated to pink wigs and tutus.
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18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I could use one of those :)

Anonymous said...

haha nice... we should add Prozac into the mix :P

Michelle said...

Hmmm, how did you know? That is my morning coffee drink!!!

It is!!

:O)

Ms. Amanda Grace said...

sounds delicious!

Brenda Susan said...

Hilarious!

Anonymous said...

I'll take two, please. ;) -KG

Anonymous said...

I love those retro magnets! I have one on my fridge that says "I lost my virginity, but I still have the box it came in" lol

RadoMom said...

Twinkle's right, must add a shot of prozac and it would be perfection... = )

Anonymous said...

I have seriously got to move to an area where they have trapeze lessons.
that sounds like so much fun.

Anonymous said...

That's seriously so awesome. I want to do that so bad! Was it expensive?

Anonymous said...

GREAT blog :) when i got to the part that said u let go, i got goosebumpy. it sounds like so much fun, especially since i saw it in that Sex and the City episode where Carrie had to do it for a column.

u are so amazingly brave, dont ever let urself talk urself out of something u think u cant do. its just fun to try. i hope one day ill have as much courage as u :)

yours,
Twinkle

SSP said...

what's the worst that can happen? You can let go or not let go...no matter, what you are going to fall, so you might as well enjoy the flight first, right!? I bet you feel like the KING OF THE WORLD right now - all you need is a giant cruise ship painted in around you!! Add "do a zip line" to your adventure bowl...it is a similar rush with a twist...CONGRATS

adventure grrl said...

Thanks for all your awesome comments everybody!

Jessica, it was $50 which is "large dollars" in my book but I have done plenty of adventures that have been free so it all seems to balance out. It was DEFINITELY worth it!!!!

Anonymous said...

I LOVE your adventure bowl idea :) I need to put some serious thought into making one for myself.

-Jacqueline

Carolyn said...

That sounds like soo much fun! I would love to do that one day.

Anonymous said...

Wow, congrats! That's quite an acomplishment to free your mind and push yourself to do more than you thought you could. Very inspiring!

Anonymous said...

This sounds so AWESOME! I got chills from your blog...as usual! I have to try this someday.

Anonymous said...

You rock!