This past weekend I learned an important lesson: We are never too old to try new things.
I was standing on top of the two-story dock, my toes hanging over the edge as I tried to determine if I was crazy or not. I’d stand there for a minute, feel like I was getting enough gumption (yes I just used the word gumption) and then I’d chicken out. It was something I had always wanted to be able to do, ever since I was a kid, but my fearful side would inevitable creep in any time I’d get close. Time and time again, I would talk myself out of doing it. It being a flip.
For some of you, you are reading this and judging me for being a pansy. You’re thinking to yourself, “It’s a flip, Mary, not that big of a deal.” Some of you, though, know exactly what I’m talking about because you’ve been there. Having not been a crazy acrobatic/athletic child, you know the feeling of standing up there and playing out all kinds of horrible scenarios in your head of what could go wrong. Well, that was me this past Saturday. I’ve known for a long time that I was more than capable of doing a front flip but I always convince myself otherwise. Well, this past weekend a bunch of my friends and I made the trek down south to the city of Austin, TX for a lake day. It was perfect weather, great company and we found ourselves on top of a double-decker dock, happily enjoying the last bit of summer as we plunged carelessly into the cool water below. I had no problem jumping the 10 feet or so in to the water but as soon as I saw one of my friends doing a front flip, I began an inward battle. You can do it. No, you can’t. YES, yes you can! Finally, I remember thinking to myself, “It’s ok Mary. You are not in your youth anymore, it’s alright if you never do a front flip. It’s something you learn as a kid. Sometimes you just miss your window and you get too old to try something new.” Well, I had just about believed that bunch of you know what when it dawned on me how ridiculous that was. I don’t want to EVER live like I’m too old to try new things! So, I went back over, put my toes on the edge, took a deep breath, said a prayer that I wouldn’t die…and took a leap of faith. Ironically, somehow I managed to flip around and land with a reasonable amount of form…having completed my first front flip.
It may seem like a minor thing, but that lesson was so good for me. We are never too old to try new things, step outside our comfort zone and do a front flip.
So, in the name of lake days, front flips and trying new things,
I Say, Take Me Back!
(Since I very rarely get weekends off, I left my camera at home to ensure that I ‘took a break’. Therefore, please excuse the iphone quality pics below!)
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