#6 Fly through the Air

So my friend Viktoria and I headed off to #6 on the list.....Trapeze school at TSNY Boston-Beantown.

I was so nervous that I didn't eat lunch because I was afraid I would throw it up while flying.

The set up was two trapezes inside a very tall building that has an indoor watershow and Beantown (stuff made from jellybeans) and other activities and a large furniture store. I expected the nets to be bigger than they were and my nerves began to swell.

There were 10 of us in the 2 hour class....4 had flown before and the rest of us were first timers. Our instruction....We stood in a row.....and for 5 min! No joke!!! "You will stand this way....put your left hand here, right hand here... Bend your knees.... and Jump"....while up there you will do XYZ.... Ok go climb the stairs!!!!! Huh???? What??? Panic is ensuing.... Now, they have someone on the loud speaker yelling out the thing you have to do, but my brain is in overload and I'm thinking...JUST DON'T VOMIT....OR DIE!

We climb the stairs and watch the kids who have done it before and a few others as we try to remember the routine...its almost our turn. Vik wants me to go first (this WAS my idea after all!)

I step up...the apple I ate is in my upper chest....so I'm thinking perhaps I did not need that little bit of food--who needs glucose! Mike, clips me in and I'm a wreck. I have to stand with my toes over the edge, hold onto the platform with my left hand and thrust my pelvis forward as he pulls my weight back (let's talk about trust!), and my right arm holds the bar.....arching I have to let go with the left hand and trust that Mike has me as I am really leaning forward at an angle off the platform. Ready=bend my knees. Go=jump off and put your legs together... Then start the routine, pull your legs up to the bar and hook them over the bar, take your hands off , look behind you ( I got to look at the water show going on) and smile, then hands back on the bar, unhook the legs then try to swing them back and forth to ultimately get into a flip. THIS was the toughest thing for me. They said that I had great form for many parts of my routine but I just couldn't get momentum to flip. I think some of it is that my belly is still recovering from surgery (and the belt was right over where I have had continued pain which thankfully got better in the past week). But my belly is still so weak, also they said I was just trying too hard and not breathing. After falling to the mat the John asked me how I felt......all I thought was "I'm exhausted!!!!"

So what was I thinking while up there? Nothing....it was peaceful...I would be so nervous right before I'd jump, but once flying the nerves were GONE. I kinda went into performance mode. I wanted to have perfect lines and was thinking about pilates. I don't remember seeing much either. Its actually kinda a blur.

We did 3 runs of the routine and I was feeling pretty beat up and bummed that I had not been able to do the flip at the end. One time I would have had it if my brain did what the guy said, he said tuck, but my body "sat" instead....my brain was on overload I tell yah! Its interesting how I felt comfortable with the knee hangs, but Vik didn't, yet she did a flip from the first try and I couldn't (she also has great abs). On try #4, I DID THE FLIP!!!!!!!! It was the last run, so I was sooooo happy. As I flipped off the net and John unclipped me I was beeming as I said "about D*#@! time!"

Then we had to learn catching....GULP!!! The timing is critical, we have to start out with the beginning part of the routine and hang from our knees and as we look back we look for Kaz to be there. He would clasp us at our forearm, we clasp back then when he yells we unhook our legs and he would have us...then ultimately we would drop to the mat......end of lesson, up the stairs. No one makes it ahead of me, and of course Vik makes me go first .....timing was WAY off, had to rehook legs and he tells me to drop down on 3.....whoops! I dropped on 1.....fatigue and the microrips in my hands were getting to me! Vik tries next--nope timing was off. I was all set to give up, but she made me go up to try again. This time she went first and he caught her!!! So I'm ready, but I'm so tired and sore.......Kaz and I played pattycake but not close enough for clasping. I was really disappointed. But I had to remember, I TRIED and I WENT FIRST and I LEPT WITHOUT REAL FEAR- I have to be proud of that and not strive for perfection in the routine.

I really am shocked at how calm I was.......a little sweaty palms, a little butterflys. BUT knowing how anxious that I CAN get over things this was NOTHING!!! I thank God for the men who were working there. They were all kind and encouraging, they made me feel safe (because when my normal Susan brain takes over I am normally a NUT!!!). Their strength is an absolute gift. I had to trust these strangers with my life......Their strength allowed me to face the fear and have faith and not only step out but jump out! I lept, I had faith that God would protect me as I go on this journey of self discovery, and He did.

It was an amazing experience!....would I do it again? Absolutely! Only I'd like to get my abs in shape so I can nail that flip and my arms in shape because its the day after and I can't even get dressed without pain let alone carry my suitcase (ouch!). Will I still be nervous and have sweaty palms? Yep-- because that's me! I'm a work I'm progress---but aren't we all??