perspective

Where is My Body in Space? Aerial Circus Class

Taking an aerial class has been on my bucket list for a while. This involves two silks hanging from a tall ceiling that you use like Cirque du Soleil would (please don’t think for a second I think I’m ready to join Cirque du Soleil). They refer to it as ‘circus.’

Most of the Personal Euphoria team wasn’t available to attend, but Jeannine and I thought we’d go anyway. After a dynamic warm-up, they got us in the silks. Honestly, I was surprised at how much we could both do. I was a little worried this might wind up like the pole dancing class we once took as a team. None of us could even begin to do the moves. But here, Jeannine and I could actually (with assistance) get into the positions they prepared for us. A big part of that was that they selected moves that were manageable but still made us feel like we were doing something cool—flipping upside down, arching into a backbend like a crescent moon hovered in the air.

I’ve never been able to climb a rope—not in […]

Where is My Body in Space? Aerial Circus ClassMaggie Downie2023-06-29T23:32:12-04:00

Myers Briggs I’m No Martin Luther King

Guess I can enjoy an 8 hour hike in the woods alone because I’m an introvert.

My best friend from childhood came for a sleep over (is that still the term once you are an adult?) and suggested I take a quick, online Myers Briggs test. The Myers Briggs test is a personality test that is supposed to tell you how you perceive the world and what motivates your decision making. Offices sometimes use them to help people work together and understand coworkers’ motivations. I presumed it would be somewhat relevant, but in the way a daily horoscope could work for almost anyone on any given day. While fun I would not put a lot of stock in horoscopes.

But who cares if it is accurate or not? It’s fun to answer questionnaires like we used to do in magazines as teenagers in her basement bedroom that was decorated with Absolute Vodka advertisements. Now sitting in my living room, snuggled in warm blankets I took the 15-minute quiz. Some questions were easy to answers, others were more challenging. Do you think organization or flexibility is more important? What are they looking for? […]

Myers Briggs I’m No Martin Luther KingMaggie Downie2019-01-16T15:18:22-05:00

All is right with the world with this addition to our family–now that’s a little perspective!

After a whirlwind trip to Texas to visit my brother and sister-in-law before they became parents, my family and I flew back to Logan airport in Boston and called the shuttle to take us to our car. Twenty minutes later, no shuttle. Twenty minutes later, still no shuttle.

Hangry, sleep deprived, and generally irritable, I was growing more and more frustrated with the shuttle service. In our modern world, I struggle with unnecessary inefficiency and unknowns. It’s not a trait I love about myself. Nearly twenty minutes later, the shuttle still hadn’t arrived. Each time we called, the service would tell us to stay put, suggest we wait outside in the frigid New England cold, and hang up on us. I sat down on the baggage carousel utterly exasperated.

Then I saw a man my age or a little younger walk by. He had one leg, and I thought, “Oh, I’m okay. My life is great. I can wait for this shuttle.” It was a little perspective on how good and easy my life actually was. Sadly, […]

PerspectiveMaggie Downie2018-05-16T17:34:23-04:00

Handstand Helper

I’m actually working on my handstand, but this was the picture that had the most of me in it!

For two years I’ve been trying to do a handstand and the planche also known as the Peacock. Two years is a long time to work on something and still not be there. It can be frustrating. My failure at the planche is lack of strength. I’m just not strong enough in my shoulders, back or glutes to support myself in that position. And I can’t find my balance point. The handstand, on the other hand, has nothing to do with strength. I’m strong enough. I just can’t figure it out. If anything I’m not sure my shoulders are flexible enough for me to get in the right position.

I’m not giving up though and that’s the point. So far my experimentation with these exercise has been pretty regimented. Must have strength. Must follow this prescribed format. That has been helpful, but it’s only gotten me so far. My current mode of operation is to be more playful when I’m working on these exercises.

That’s helpful in a couple of ways. I’m less stressed […]

Handstand HelperMaggie Downie2018-02-14T16:16:22-05:00

Plank Story: Montgomery, Alabama Civil Rights

Outside the Dexter Parsonage Museum, MLK’s home in Montgomery.

Matt and I were headed to Montgomery, Alabama to see the abandoned, dilapidated set from Big Fish. I was planning a weekend for us in Montgomery and started to worry that there wouldn’t be much to see. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the Big Fish set still cool to walk through, but Montgomery is steeped in civil rights and civil war history.

What is unique about the civil rights component is that some of the people living in Montgomery today were alive and in Montgomery during the 1950’s. Some knew Martin Luther King and lived through the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The civil rights history in Montgomery isn’t that old. I’d say now is the time to visit, because once the sites are actually history and not told from a firsthand experience, a piece of the story will be lost.

In a couple decades, you could go to the Dexter Parsonage Museum, MLK’s house, and get a great tour about his story in Montgomery, but probably won’t hear Dr. Shirley Cherry’s, our […]

Plank Story: Montgomery, Alabama Civil RightsMaggie Downie2017-12-29T20:27:45-05:00