A few months a go I reported that future Amber was going to have an awesome time doing all the fun stuff I bought on Groupon, including a trapeze class with my 13 year old sister and 6 year old nephew.
Well, that item is now checked off and future me (or is it now past me?) had an unbelievably awesome time.
A few words about my trapeze compadres. My BIG-nephew is smart and opinionated and doesn’t love giving up control. He likes to know his surroundings and the expectations. The Teenager is a pretty typical teenage lazy-ish girl so basically, I can’t relate to her at all. She watches music videos and knows stats about heart-throbby boys. I don’t get her but I do notice that she needs a spark and to try things outside the box.
As for me, I don’t care for heights much and am battling the feeling that life pushes you into complacency.
Luckily, my mom was feeling up to coming with us and was there to take some pics.and witness all the madness.
BIG’s eyes got pretty big when we walked into Emerald City Trapeze Arts, a studio that is mainly taken up by a trapeze setup and large ropes and aerial silks hanging about. Truthfully, Emily and I were starting to feel a bit nervous too.
We joined our class which consisted of two other adult women and an adult guy and our instructor, a handsome Kiwi which may have intimidated Emily a bit but I think the teacher being a guy made BIG want to impress. We did only a few minutes of ground lessons. We were shown how to take off and did a pull over on a stationary bar (embarrassing!)
.
(notice neither of these were my pull over 
And with that small preamble Kiwi started strapping us into safety harnesses and asking for the first volunteer. Who would go first?
BIG raised his tiny (it looked especially tiny to me when compared to the VERY high ladder) hand and volunteered. In hindsight we think maybe he wanted to get it over with or maybe he wanted to impress Kiwi that badly; whatever it was I had been worried that he might just say “no thanks” and go sit with my mom. But up he went. they prepped him with the bar and let him swing. If my sister wouldn’t freak I’d post the video because IT WAS AWESOME! He swung, and put his legs up to hang upside down. Then he got a bit freaked and wouldn’t take his hands down. So he was swinging upside down and the instructor had to coax him down.
When he got down I was worried he would be scarred forever and subsequently hate me for that long. And for a while he was a bit spazzed. he wanted the hell out of his safety but when it was time to go again, he was ready.
Emily and my stories are similar. We each went for it the first time, felt freaked and shaky and then were ready to go again. E and I both pulled our legs over, she had a harder time of it. I passed the timing test and even made a catch at the end (meaning the instructor caught me and I transferred off my bar. Emily failed to video…FAIL)!
It was so fun. It was even better to do it with those guys. None of us knew anything about trapeze beforehand and by the end we’d all shared a life experience. I was so inspired by BIG’s bravery and by Emily stepping out of her comfort zone. I loved how we were each so proud and exhilarated after each run; and proud and exhilarated for each other.
It was without a doubt a life experience that I highly recommend.
And past-Amber, you’re so wise!
(PS Sorry for the bad pics, they are screen shots of videos that I can’t post
