Literature
Rope Jumping Contest
I more or less gave up sports when I started to
college. Fortunately, the University required all students to take
physical education. The most painful one was conditioning in the Freshman
year, where the goal of the coach was to kill all of the freshman. After
that it was easier to wimp out with classes like dancing and weight
training. Rope jumping, however, was different. I loved rope jumping. By
the time I had taken it a couple of quarters I was the top in the class. I
could do spins, double jumps, cross jumps, jumps sitting in a chair,
backwards and forwards.
A few years later at a family reunion I watched as all the little girls of
the family jumped rope in my mother’s front yard. At some point I began to
tease them and said " That really looks easy. I wonder if I could do it."
They all roared with laughter. "Sure, uncle Jim. "It is so easy. Just come
over and try it". One of them handed me her rope, daring me to try. I took
it and sort of clumsily started to swing it around and acted like I was
having trouble. Then I speeded up and said "Hey its going so fast I have
to double jump, so I began swinging it around twice per jump. Then I said
"Hey, it is starting to twist on me. " So I began to cross jumping with
the rope folded in front of me. I stopped and sorta froze like I was
puzzled and started swinging it backwards, acting like it was out my
control, but back jumping, then cross back jumping.
They were all totally freaked out.