From Function to Fitness :: Getting Your Groove Back

I am not an aerialist.
I am not a dancer.
I am not a producer.
But if I have come to realize anything about my life it's that I am most definitely a risk taker.

I am not quite sure where it started and I am not quite sure where it will take me. I have been this way ever since I can remember and I seem to get myself in some of the most precarious of situations. Admittedly, sometimes it gets to be a bit much and many times I do feel in over my head. But I know the value of learning how to swim. Besides I would like to think that my actions will eventually encourage and inpsire my daughters as they face different paths in their own personal roads ahead.

If you had told me at the beginning of last year that I would not only be pulling together my own show but also dancing in it and hanging from a lyra, well, I would have told you that you were crazy. I have always wanted to see something different produced on the Nashville stage but never had one ounce of desire (aka guts) to make that happen all by myself. However, when my friend Laura shared a similar vision of producing a such a show, to create a unique most-memorable experience, I knew that I could never say 'no'. Laura, being an amazing woman and musician- who by no doubt can handle anything that crosses her path, was an easy fit for me and the opportunity to work with her was too precious to pass up.

In peeling off the layers and diving in with Laura to create this show, naturally many things began to unfold. I had decided early on that I did not want to perform a hula hoop number and opted for something different, new and out of the ordinary... at least for me. So I opted for not only more numbers but ones that would bring movement to my body but through a different light.

As I have steadily trained these past few months, it has become quite clear, especially in being surrounded by a cast of twenty-somethings, that my almost 38 year old body does not move like theirs... by any means. Yes, I find myself to be the "old" one in the group. And while age has never been a forethought in my mind before, this has been one of the most daunting realizations and I see now why my mother tried to hang on to "29"" for so many years. It takes me a million times longer to learn things that they can just do in one or two tries. Their bodies bend and meld while mine creaks and cracks. Yes, my range of motion is somewhat limited and by no means is grace my middle name.

While I have put months into my practice, the perfectionist in me feels as if I could use many more. At night I fall asleep running through my numbers in my head. I close my eyes and automatically feel the sway of the lyra. I have to open my eyes so I don't get too dizzy. And of course I sit there and wonder, where is MTV's "Make me an Aerialist for 38 year olds" when you need it most?

I am more excited about this show than I have ever been about any show that I have watched or even participated in. But I am also more terrified of the stage than I have ever been before. The only phsyical feeling I can aquate it to is the time I was at the top of my first slope about to jump off. It was absolutely terrifying, but I could not make my friends walk down the slope via the 2 mile cross country path back to the lodge like I had made them done the day before... yes, I now had to jump.

As I am getting ready to jump I hope you will be there with me in support. And I hope that my being there encourages you to try something new, maybe to even try something that terrifies you. I often worry that we spend our lives away defining ourselves by who we are not- or what we cannot do. But I am a risk taker. Now tell me, what are you?

Posted by hooprama at 01:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought that at the very least there would be some time for reflection at the end of 2009 or maybe even at the beginning of 2010.  Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for some) there was not this time around.  I was able to come up for breath for about 2 days right on the 25th.  And then I headed right back under on the 27th.  Yes, 2010 is in full gear and I am not sure that I have my seat belt on yet!

I realized the week before New Year's, that the first half of my year is already planned out in full to the point of no return.  That's a good thing, but an admitted challenge for me in the juggling and sanity process.  I feel as if I am walking around with a million "to do" lists in my head, trying desperately not to forget anything.  Regardless, I am extremely thankful that my to do list is weighed down with things that are very important to me.  They are so important that not one is worth moving for even the sake of a small much desired breath. 

I kicked off the New Year with the approval of our non-profit status from the State of TN for Hooping for Hope.  Making this adventure a bonafide non-profit has been a dream of mine for the past 2 years and I am thankful that we can finally begin to fund raise and search for grants.  I feel so fortunate to have two dear friends walking me through the process the past couple of months.  In order to celebrate the recent accomplishments, I created a new website that you can check out here.

Next in line is the prompt kick-off of the training for Hooping the Half Marathon.  With over 35 girls fully registered and a team of fabulous trainers, I think we are about ready to roll.  The weather is not forgiving, but the excitement is infectious and I know these gals will be rockstars!  We will spend the next 3 1/2 months training and perfecting our hoop walking skills in preparation for the big day, April 24th.  {Of course you can follow updates on our progress on the above mentioned blog.}

I will continue to hold by breath as I diligently train and prepare for one of my largest personal adventures... co-producing a show at the Belcourt Theatre on February 12th.  This particular show has been a vision of mine for some time and I am again incredibly thankful to be sharing the spotlight with an amazingly and inspiring woman who will co-produce with me.  This show is like none other that I have seen in town and to top it off I have set some pretty high challenges for myself personally.  I am admittedly neither producer, dancer or aerialist, and yet I have decided to tackle all three.  I guess that's what happens when you see the years start to go by quicker and the drive to accomplish more steadily increases.  Oh, and yes, we have created a website for this adventure too... the Blind Tiger Dames.

In proper fashion, I will then hold my breath a bit longer as we move to the next adventure... a vintage clothing swap/benefit for my friend Amy Patterson, "Giving Threads for Life" on March 21st.  Amy has been inspiring this past year in all that she has faced and as a fixture to the vintage community, attaching my vintage swap as a benefit to, well, directly benefit her was a no-brainer.  There will be more details to follow- and yes, of course, this event has it's own website too... ecochicswap.com.

One month post swap, you will find me then leading a team of women in the 2010 country music marathon in a sea of pink hoops.  Yes, almost 4 months of training will be paying off in 4 short hours of hoop walking.  I wait all year for this event to come around again and look forward to the women who decide to partake in this crazy little adventure. 

Upon completion of the half-marathon, on month five, I will hold my breath a little more while I venture out on a mini-vacation with my oldest daughter, Fiona.  Taking one day off from work gives me anxiety attacks.  Don't get me wrong, I love vacation just as much as the next person, but the idea of all the work that happens while I am gone... that waits for me to return... that I have to then catch up on... well, that keeps me pretty well buckled in!

In closing of my reflection of the next 5 months to come, it is obvious to me the common thread that binds them all.   The people closest to me are the ones who will make all this a possibility for me to achieve in the coming months ahead.  Hailey & Kelly will guide me through Hooping for Hope.  Laura will hold my hand in my first production while the cast cheers me on.  Stephanie & Carrie will be instrumental in the smooth flow of Amy's benefit.  My husband David, Fiona, the team leaders and the entire team will make Hooping for Hope a reality and last but not least, the little friend inside of me will let me go off for a few days to go play and have fun.  I wish you all a productive and prosperous New Year and hope that you will find your schedule filled with helping those around you because I promise, your friend could not do half of it without the support and love of someone like you.

Posted by hooprama at 12:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hooprama has grown substantially over the past year.  And that has included some pretty heavy growing pains, some of which have been public and of course, some continue to remain private. 

What I have learned is tri-fold…

The importance of the instructor.  Today, our instructors are chosen out of spirit.  I feel 100% confident that every teacher you will currently encounter at our studio is there because they are so incredibly impassioned to share something that has personally changed their own lives.  I am extremely thankful for all of my instructors and know full well, that my little studio would not be what it is today without each and every one of them.  They all have other jobs that support them on a daily basis, so each one chooses to be at Hooprama... and that is really special.

The importance of the student.  Over the years I have been greatly affected by my students in more ways than they could ever imagine.  It has been such a pleasure to turn around and realize that my community is made up of all of these incredible women.  What makes them so incredible?  Not just their own personal make up… but the spirit that they bring to class.  I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the smiles, the laughs and the new friendships develop.    And to witness the student who was so unsure of herself in class grow into an amazing hooper with new found confidence is absolutely priceless.  My students are the very reason I continue to teach.  My love for Level One is a deep one... and my thrill for Level 5 is just as high.  I am incredibly thankful that my students have provided me the opportunity to teach so many classes over the past year.

The importance of the small business.  The biggest wake up call is the “end of the year” review for a small business.  Would you believe that when all is said and done I actually netted less than I made when I was 19 years old working in a French bakery?  Yes that is very personal but, that is the reality of a “small business” in the early years.  Experiencing a small business ‘behind the scenes’ makes it painfully clear how our personal choices can greatly impact our own local community.  It has made me work that much harder to think about where I spend my own money and to promote and support those around me as much as I possibly can.  With that said, everyone at Hooprama knows how important your time and money is and we know that you have many choices out there as to where you can spend that time and money.  I am incredibly thankful that you have chosen to be a part of our growth this past year because  your choice has made a difference in the lives of so many others!

Warmest wishes to all of you this holiday season and Cheers to our instructors, our students and to all of our valuable choices!

Posted by hooprama at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Dear Papal,

How do you measure your self worth?  For me, that measurement has always been against what you thought of me.  Crazy, I know, but when I was little and my real father left me and I never connected to my new step-father, all I had was you.  You meant the world to me. 

 

I always viewed you as a true man of the 50’s.  I am in love with your love story... marrying young at the age of 19; eloping with my grandmother who was only 16.  Of course I would kill my girls if they ever did that, but it was the 50's and I understand that times were different.  I love that you met my grandmother on a blind date while on leave and that you proposed on date number 2 only to have been turned down.  I love that you went back into the military to come home a few months later to propose again, only on date number 3, and that this time she said yes.   While you do have a "true" love story, I am grown now and I know yours is not sugar coated, but regardless, it is 60 years in the making and that is rare and to be admired in my day.

 

To me, your love is explained best in terms of your dedication to each other.  You had three children back to back.  My grandmother was given very limited funds to purchase everything.  And I know what "everything" is, because she remembers and shares those days vividly.  Fabric for clothes, food for dinners, everything that was needed.  I love that you were such a hard worker and an engineer- although it took me many years to realize that did not mean "driving a train".  I love that you came out of retirement three times- but finally lost that battle to a garden and koi pond.

 

Growing up, you were everything to me.  Absolutely everything.  You could fix, build, do anything.  In addition to that, you were a man of style (smoking this really cool pipe while sitting in the lazy boy, wearing the tweed blazer with leather elbow patches).  You took me ice skating when I came to visit.  In fact, you took me everywhere. 

 

For a long time, you were very proud of me.  I know you were extremely hard on your own children, but me, the only grandchild, I could swing from the moon if I wanted to and I think you would have been happy to take me there.  As a man who would wait for no one, I look back and see how you would wait for me forever. 

 

I know having a baby at 21 was not the "best" scenario for me. It always perplexed me that it was not that circumstance that would change your views of me.  I felt "the change" two years later when I dropped out of college, stopping short that one year.  I can still hear you now… “I told my surgeon that you were on the Dean’s List and dropped out and he could not believe how anyone on the Dean’s List would drop out.”   Did you know that you have used that line for about 13 years now?

 

The next stone fell when I quit my desk job of 8 years.  I know it was a "good" desk job with "good" pay, but it had no heart and no soul.  And I am sure it had soul for the guys running it, but not for me.  Your obvious disappointment in my decision has been crushing me these past few years.  “How could you risk everything like this?” "How can you make a living hula hooping?"  “Why would you leave such a good job?”

 

I have spent the past two years trying my best to prove my worth to you.  In fact, I have unfortunately entered into the dog & pony show of “look at me! look at me!” when I am around you, listing off all of my accomplishments and updates as if it might strike some sort of approval.  Now I can tell you are excited when I am featured in the papers.  And of course you never fail to tune in to see me if I am going to be on TV.  But I have always been able to  tell that you still think that that last year of college, or those desk years into retirement would have been a much better choice. Although I kept working hard to prove otherwise, admittedly I could not help but still question those things myself. 

 

Fortunately, my Southern Living article debuted last week and I had an even bigger dog & pony show for you.  I figured, how could I get more legit than this?!  This was MY family's magazine after all.  All of my friends were excited.  I was excited.  Mom told me that you made copies (color copies even) and sent to all the relatives.

 

I was thinking that the excitement might be the ceiling of the experience and of course, one more notch in earning your approval.  But then something important happened and I really wanted to share it with you.

 

Yesterday, I received a call from a spunky woman in New Jersey who wanted a hula hoop.  She definitely had her wits about her and sounded no more than 50, so imagine my surprise when she shared that she was 81!  She said that she never had a hoop as a kid and always wanted one and had never hooped before.  And to think that by reading my article in Southern Living she is now going to start hula hooping!?  Amazing!

 

And then a short hour later I received the following email…

 

“Nov 9th, 09 - I am 61 but still try to revise those numbers to 16 - I though I was in great shape until being diagnosed.  Please tell me how I can buy a hoop - I live in the country about 20 miles from Little Rock, AR. MANY years ago I used to hoop - not sure if I can now but would love to try. I admire what you are doing and will say a prayer for you.”

 

Upon telling her I would provide her with a free Hooping for Hope hoop, she responded,

“Okay and thank you so much - I will let you know if I can still hoop! And never ignore a lump - I have always been faithful for my yearly diagnostic mammogram - About April I noticed a lump and waited until time for my yearly mammogram in July.  Because of the size of the tumor I had to have the chemo. If I had gone sooner maybe I could have missed out on the chemo! Through what you are doing for breast cancer patients - you let our eyes once again sparkle with the hope that life will some how get back to normal.  Thank you so much."  

 

Honestly, I have never really thought too much about what I am doing in the scale of 'cause and effect' on others.  But don't get me wrong, I have had some absolutely incredible responses that affirm my direction.  There was one student who told me that she had just been though a really bad time and that my hoop class was the first thing to make her smile in two years.  And then another shared that her friend in hoop class went home and broke up with her abusive boyfriend after discovering happiness in my class.  But, I kind of figured these might be isolated results of happening to be in a class that I taught. 

 

But this morning the flow continued...

 

“We had been plotting to move to move to East Nashville for a while, and the Southern Living article confirmed my choice.  I cannot reserve a class (I have to sell our house in FL), my husband died one month ago, and the we is me.   Sounds like You live in a perfect place and perfect exercise to help me heal.”

 

And then immediately to a phone call this morning...  “What are your studio hours?  We want to come see your studio and get a hoop.  We are in from out of town and read the article in Southern Living.  I had a sister who died at the age of 24 with breast cancer.  She had a 3 year old daughter at the time.  We love what you are doing to help breast cancer survivors and we want to support you.”

 

In my life, I have never really cared what others truly thought, except for you.  At the age of 81, with all of your faults finally revealed, I still care about your opinion just as much now as I ever did.  But thankfully you now have competition... Southern Living stepped in and unexpectedly adjusted that perception of me, for me.

 

I am hoping that through this letter you will adjust your perception of me as well. I am even hopeful that you might allow the stories of the women above to weight in on your judgment too.  Yes, I am still hoping that you will finally become really proud of me again. 

 

But with all that said, in the end, I close my letter to tell you that I have finally arrived to value the work that I am doing and the importance of my feeling proud of myself.  I want to thank you for encouraging me to work harder and to do better.  I know that you did not do that intentionally, but in all of your disappointment in my choices, you have, in the end made me a much stronger and more valuable woman, wife and mother- and for that I am forever in debt and will always love you.

 

Love, me.

 Click here to read the Southern Living article that changed my life.

Posted by hooprama at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am very excited to finally be able to share one of our most enjoyable adventures to date.  A couple of weeks ago Jack White asked me to hoop in his latest video "I Cut Like a Buffalo".  So, here you go- hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I have had some people ask me about some of the people in the video... The belly dancer is Cheryl King, the opening dancer is Ashley Torrance. The guy in the bowler hat is BP Fallon. And of course Karen, Jack's wife is all throughout the video and featured in the opening clip with the buffalo. View stills of the video here.

Posted by hooprama at 12:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)