This photo is not just exhibit A that my head has always been roughly the size of a regulation 10 pin bowling ball (I had to specify because as a New Englander, candle pin is our bowling method of choice, and my head hasn’t been that size ball since the beginning of my mother’s second trimester). This 3rd grade dance recital picture is also a painful reminder of the childhood trauma that resulted from not having the ability to do a cartwheel. Did you think that I was about to tell you my dance teacher molested me?
No, no, just some upper-middle class problems where my parents could afford to send me to weekly dance classes that were segregated by which girls could or could not do cartwheels. So, I wasn’t abused, but it felt kinda like, a race thing, almost.
No? Well, not being able to do a cartwheel was embarrassing. And look how big my head was! I couldn’t catch a break after I was born into a stable family in a first world nation! For one, while the other girls were doing a step-ball-change, sashay, sashay, cartwheel, pose! I was doing a sashay, sashay, summersault, slowly get up, pose a half-count late!
Or the time my older cousin tried to teach me how to do a cartwheel at my brother’s baseball game and all I accomplished was throwing up a Dole popsicle and spaghetti.
The worst cartwheel experience of all was when I was in middle school and wanted to be a cheerleader. During the first practice leading up to try-outs we were separated into groups: girls who did back hand springs, girls who did cartwheels, and girls they would humor for two hours. There ended my cheerleading career.
I don’t know what it is about cartwheels that always eluded me. I think it was a combination of my lack of upper body strength and my fear of my feet being where my head should be. It’s just amazing what a huge stress cartwheels used to be for me. It’s like algebra (to theatre majors), except with cartwheels no one ever lets you know that you practically never need them in adulthood. I guess people just assume you know that.
Assuming makes an ass out of you and me because I was horrified that this was going to be my life forever.
Look! This is me as a Rorschach test!
Love your creativity! I will be back again, count on it!
Thank you so much!
Reblogged this on Thejazzynator's Blog and commented:
wow
This is terrific and funny. Well done! I look forward to more.
Thank you! I have years worth of bowling ball head childhood pictures so I have tons of blogging material for you to enjoy.
Ha! The dreaded cartwheel…I never mastered it, either. I REALLY wanted to do a round-off. But no go, either. Love the outfit!
Yes! New Englanders love candle pin bowling. I have only been 10 pin bowling like once in my life, and only after moving to Chicago.
Your head with those little legs is too good. Like, this is maybe my fave picture of all time. I was never a cartwheel girl either! Oy.
That last picture is the best! LOL! What were our parents thinking?? Seriously.
Back in the day I wanted to do back flip until I realized that I didn’t want to disconnect my head from the rest of my body, so I stuck to front flips.
Cartwheels are still fun, even today. In a field, a local park with friends … There is no better time to be a kid again.
Haahaha. Funny post. The Cartwheel is one of those things that I excelled at …that at bubblegum blowing contests (however, do not ask me to attempt long division….I don’t know how I made it thru elementary school, let alone college).
Your head isn’t that big….but just think…if blogging doesn’t work out you can always be a hat model.
(All in good jest. I have a big head too.)
I could do a cartwheel…but I was notorious for kicking people in the face no matter how far away they were, so for cheerleading my coaches always put me with the non-cartwheel girls. At least you didn’t alienate a bunch of nine year olds because your foot happened to make a girl lose a few teeth…
Okay, so you couldn’t do a cartwheel…but look at that posing!!! It’s flawless!! Love it!!
True story, I used to be a lot heavier, and I’d always blamed that on cartwheels eluding me (gravity and all that), but I haven’t attempted on since losing weight, partially because I’m concerned I won’t be able to do one still and my life will be ruined.