A Single Session of Gymnastics

Guy just finished his "last" gymnastics class. This is somewhat funny because we signed up in the middle of a session..so he's basically ending after 6 weeks. His friend Johnny was in the class, and Guy had had tons of fun at birthday parties held at the various gyms, and he also had had tons of fun at the free bring-a-friend-to-class visits that his various friends had taken him to. So, I thought he'd probably like to give it a go.

But, for the last 3 weeks he seemed to mysteriously get a stomachache or feel tired or have a twisted ankle right at class time. I told him that since I'd already PAID, he could sit and watch until he felt well enough to participate. (He always felt well enough by the time we got there.) BUT he let me know he didn't want to register for the next session. He kept checking, too. "I don't have to go after this week, right? I'm not going to be in gymnastics, right? I told you I don't want to go anymore, right?"

It was sort of mysterious to me, because from what I could see (from the parent viewing area), he seemed to be having fun and doing well. When I finally pried it out of him, I discovered that one of the other kids liked to call him a name that he didn't like. (Gosh, now I can't remember what the name is!?) Sigh. He's kinda the type of boy to take it silently with a quivering lip, then act normal, then drop out of class.

I'm still not sure if Guy will re-enroll in the near future, but it does remind me that I ALSO took a Single Session of Gymnastics when I was a youngster!

I'm sure that I let slip at some point that "gymnastics looks like fun" and Grandma Lorraine (she was such a great motivator) was the engine behind making sure I had a chance to be exposed and give it a try. She signed me up for a session (I think that was the summer I was ten).

I went to my first class...but everyone else already knew each other and how the class worked...so I was a little behind to begin with. Then I think someone (and myself) forgot to take me to class the next week, then we were out of town for one of the other weeks. It was never a very consistent part of my routine. I think we worked on cartwheels and round-offs.

I went to one of the open gym practice sessions. I saw no one I knew. I didn't know what to do, let alone what to "work on". I think I bounced on the trampoline and left. Grandma waited patiently through all my classes and that one open practice.

At the end of the session, I never signed up again. Not that I don't think I would have liked gymnastics, but it wasn't the right time or place (or with the right friends?). But at least I've lived my life with no regrets about it, and I know that I was given a chance to try it (bless you, Gramma!) and I liked it oh-kay.

I contrast that experience with the first time I tried rollerblading! I knew after ten minutes that those things were gonna be permanently molded to my feet. And the first time I learned to knit! I actually went to sleep excited to wake up again so I could grab the needles. Some experiences are way better than oh-kay! I just hope I can lead Mister One-Session to his favorite things sooner rather than later. That all-sports day camp is starting to look PRETTY GOOD.