Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Climbing up that Hill

On Sunday, I took intro to Rock Climbing at the Boston Rock Gym. Loved it. I was the only one who signed up for Sunday. I ended up with a private lesson from 9:00 - 12:00. In fact, I had the gym to myself until about 10:30 when a group of kids arrived. Yes, there are kids who climb better than I, but hey they're kids.


(the picture is a wall at the Boston Rock Gym)

I climbed four walls and my muscles were dead tired at the end of it. I lost grip on the fifth and sixth climb. My instructor told me to take a break, get lunch, and come back. OK -a tendon in my right arm was not working. I was done.

I am still feeling it today. Next step is a test to prove compentence to climb. Testing includes belaying, proving you can hold a climber who is falling or resting and equipment safety. I am going back for my test this weekend.

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On my way to work today, I saw a kid on my street jumping on a pogo stick. Remember pogo sticks? What struck me, is I could see myself as a child on my pogo stick. I don't often see myself when kids are playing, but today I did.

Pogos haven't changed much since I had one when I was seven. Scary to think how technology could change a pogo stick. Can you imagine? Turbo charged, jet propelled? Propell Your Child to the Moon with the TURBO JET pogo stick.

Mainly I thought about the toys I needed at seven; my bike and my rollerskates. Combine those toys with a big neighborhood to play in and some good friends, what else does a kid need? A pogo stick- maybe.

I keep thinking the world has changed for children; then I see pogo stick kid on my street and think maybe the world hasn't changed too much.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I tried climbing a wall like that once. Made it up about 5 feet and vertigo took over.

I heard on the radio today that there is a company that makes jump ropes without the rope. It makes swooshing sounds but is designed for use in small spaces.

Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? Couldn't I just jump and make the sound myself? I just don't get it.

Tracy Lynn said...

Dude, I TOTALLY HAD A POGO STICK. And I was wicked good on it, too. I could pogo for hours, it seemed like.

It was orange. Heh.

Cincysundevil said...

The more the world changes, the more it stays the same. Look at cartoons for example. They've brought back the Ninja Turtles and next up are the Transformers and Underdog.

Paperback Writer said...

Pogo sticks scared the crap out of me. But then again, so did bicyles. Good luck on your rock climbing test! (Another thing that scares me...climbing, not tests.)