I told a friend the other day that I'm usually the last one to the party. What I meant was that I'm usually not the first one to hear new news. I'm not 'in' on the gossip, I don't usually hear of the trends until they've been around for a while, etc. The kids and I spent the better part of our weekend entranced by these guys slacklining, which is probably old news to many of you (it was part of the Super Bowl half time show with Madonna). To us, it was a new phenomenon, well, sort of new, until I remembered back to my Athleta catalogs that picture women doing yoga on a 2" tie down strap strung between two trees (really, that's basically what it amounts to). So, I had seen pictures before, but never seen anyone in person, certainly not doing tricks and flips and flops and crazy stunts and I mean crazy. I'm sure if you search slacklining on you tube you'll be amazed though I'm not going to dig up the clips for you here.
Besides spending the past few days trying to convince my husband to string the straps he uses to secure the canoe to the top of the car between two trees in the front yard so we can all have at it, I came away from the experience with a new perspective. New, but old. New in that it's an old idea in my head that has come to a new place, thereby making it seem new. Some would call that growth. Call it what you like, but my 'aha' moment came from watching completely unihibited people thoroughly enjoying themselves, doing something extremely difficult and athletic, something a little crazy but not hurting anyone and not really caring at all about what anyone thought. No hang-ups from the past stopping them, no worries about what people thought about them, just enjoying pure freedom. Inspiring.
It changed me a little. My kids tried it. My son's friend was hooked depsite his double ear infection (found out later). My brother-in-law wants one. My husband thinks we're all a little looney, but then he wasn't there to witness it all. I can't wait to see the look on his face when he comes home and sees us 3 feet up in the air balancing on his tie-down straps where the hammock used to hang in the front yard. He has only to join us, right?
1 comment:
Tell Kev this is the perfect way to keep his kids at home - of course you will have Walker move in. He is still talking about it and wants to find out where else they are going to be performing. Maybe this is the next "show" for John and Walker - hanging up their music career and moving on to slacklining....can't wait to drive by and see a tow strap dangling from the trees.
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