61 •••••• Flying Trapeze  ••••

There used to be a school in San Francisco dedicated to teaching the flying trapeze. Back when I was healthy, I thought it would be a fun skill to learn. And, if I’m being completely honest, a fit and attractive model convinced me to give it a try.  So I did.  It is definitely not for the faint of heart.

The school had a full-sized flying trapeze rig, complete with a massive safety net stretched below. The experienced performers soared effortlessly through the air, swinging back and forth before releasing at precisely the right moment to be caught by another trapeze artist flying toward them from the opposite direction. It was equal parts athleticism, timing, and absolute trust. ( and foolishness for a novice like myself).

Long before you get anywhere near that point, though, you spend your time mastering the basics. Things like learning to swing correctly, building confidence, and, perhaps most importantly, falling safely into the net. It typically takes about a month to three months of lessons before you’re even allowed to attempt a catch, and even then, you must pass several proficiency tests.

Unfortunately… I’ve always been a little impatient.

So, on only my second climb up the very tall ladder, I confidently announced to the instructor that I was ready to do a catch.

Now, there’s simply no way to accurately describe his reaction because it was delivered in an extraordinarily thick, and wonderfully animated, French accent. He essentially informed me that he was the founder of the school, that he had never seen me before in his life, and that there was absolutely no chance he was going to let me attempt a catch.

Did that stop me?

Of course not.

I smiled and said, “Sure you know me! I’ve been coming here for a long time. I’m ready.”

He stared at me for a long moment before replying, once again in that unforgettable French accent:

“Yes… I remember you. Okay… you go.”

So I did.

I launched from the platform, swung high through the air, released at exactly the right moment, and was caught perfectly by the catcher. He spun me around, I reached back to grab the trapeze bar once more, and we completed the maneuver before I made a safe drop into the net.

It was absolutely incredible.

The truly frightening part came on my next climb up the ladder.

The founder looked up at me, smiled broadly, and said:

“Very good! Now you are ready for the Dead Man’s Drop!”

Yikes!!!!! 

I didn’t even know what the dead Man’s Drop was.

Lesson learned.

Well… sort of.