Trapeze Lessons

I know. I'm crazy. And I really don't know what I was thinking. My aunt, cousin, uncle, and I took a 2hr trapeze lesson last night. The class was great. You actually learn a trick, a dismount, and if you do well enough, one of the instructors does a catch with you. (Did I mention these were FLYING trapeze lessons?) My 9 year old cousin and his dad did everything, including 10 or 15 turns each, and 2 completed catches. It was really impressive. My aunt never managed the trick (a knee hang) but did get up there 5 times. Not a minor feat when you are trying to not throw up because you are so nervous. I on the other hand, turned out to be the wimp. Not a total wimp, but enough.

The first time I climbed up to the tower, I made a point of not looking down. When you actually get your toes over the edge, you are focused on the bar in front of you, so you aren't thinking about how hig up you are, or that you are about to swing out 30 or 40 feet. I took it one step at a time, not thinking about what came next, and I did great! It's a little nerve-racking to grab the bar with your first hand and feel how much it is pulling you out over the net. (The bar itself weighs 15 pounds!) But the instructor above has a good grip on your safety belt, so you still feel ok. They you have to let go of the tower cable and put your other hand on the bar. Ok, not so bad as long as you are not thinking a few steps ahead. Now it's time to pay attention to the instructor on the ground. He controls your safety line and yells instructions so that your timing is right. So he yells "Ready" and I bend my knees obligingly. Then I hear "HUP" and I jump. I JUMPED OFF A PLATFORM WITH ONLY TWO LITTLE SAFETY LINES AND THE BAR I'M CLINGING TO HOLDING ME UP! I'm absolutely nuts. I think I still had my eyes squeezed shut the first time he told me to hook my legs. But I did it on the next swing. And then, before I feel like I'm ready, he tells me to let go. AND I DO! I am now hanging by my knees, stretched out like I am reaching for a catcher. My eyes were closed for most of that swing too. Then he tells me to put my hands back up, then unhook my legs. I'm starting to relax. I managed the trick on the first try. Now he wants me to practice the prepswings for the flip dismount before I come down. I do them, no big deal. But they reminded me that I somehow had to get down. You are supposed to drop when they tell you and pick your feet up so that you sit into the net. That seemed like falling without anyway to catch myself. So I came straight down and landed on my feet, not hurting myself, but I could tell that it definiatly wasn't the ideal way to land on a net.

So I did it. I swung and even completed my knee hang. I was ready to try again. As I was walking up, I started to get nervous. And this was worse than the first time. I could tell as I was getting ready to swing that this was going to be worse. First, I jumped up rather than out, so the instructor wouldn't let go of me. I did that twice before I got it right, and it only made me more nervous. But I swung out, got my knees up, and let go. The guy on the floor is yelling at me to open my eyes. He wanted me to let go again with my eyes open. I just started shaking my head. He backed off and let me go back to hanging from my hands. Then he wanted to practice those prepswings again. I barely swing my legs, and he's telling me to try again. Again, I'm shaking my head. No way. I needed to get down.

I sat and watched for a few minutes, thinking that I would just let myself calm down and then go back up when I was less wound up. But as I cooled off, my shoulder started to cramp up and I knew I was done.

I am not an adventurous person and tend to get sick to my stomach when my adrenaline gets going. But I did it. I may have only swung twice, but I can now say that I have been on the trapeze and even learned a trick! Yay for Ethan's mom.