a little girl's dream

I know the Olympics are over. I know most people have moved on with their lives and are probably filled with excitement over the beginning of football season, as they should be.

But.

I found THIS and was so excited I almost started doing cartwheels. Why have I not heard of this before? This is enough motivation to make me want to buy my own Wii (which is quite an amazing thing because I have never been a big video gamer). I know I must explain. Rewind about 16 years…

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a gymnast. I devoured books on Nadia Comaneci, Mary Lou Retton, and Shannon Miller. I watched as the Magnificent Seven jumped, danced, flipped, flew, and vaulted their way to gold in Atlanta in 1996. I saw Kerri Strug’s infamous vault and she became my new hero. I read every single word printed on their Wheaties cereal box at my grandma’s house.

Then, when the ’96 Olympics were over, I ran to our dress-up trunk, pulled out the ballet leotards, and headed for the garage which I transformed into a gym. An 8-foot long 2x4 board became a balance beam. My beam routine consisted of a series of cartwheels and jumps. Once I completed that, I moved to the floor routine. I used my dad’s king-sized denim quilt and became queen of the floor with my flawless cartwheels, round-offs, and artistry. I even perfected the one-handed cartwheel. I never attempted a vault – watching Kerri Strug’s epic landing scarred me for life. I did eventually figure out how to transform the swing-set into a high bar. However, I gave that up after an unfortunate accident. The bolts on the top of the swing set that hold the swings on can easily get caught on your belt loops as you swing around the bar. This would leave you hanging upside down by a few threads…literally. Not a pleasant experience.

I knew I could never be a gymnast in real life. Let’s be honest: I was way too tall. Everyone knows a gymnast has to be short and I was always one of the tallest in my class. I reached my current height of 5'8" around the age of 12 or 13. Also, I was 8 years old at the time and of course you have to start no later than 4 years old if you want to make it to the elite levels before you get too old. Plus, my parents certainly didn’t have the money for Olympic-level training, and I had younger siblings to raise anyway. I didn’t let those factors keep me from dreaming though…or cartwheeling.

And now, 16 years later, this gymnastics game could be just what I need to relieve the stress of a long day at the office, or give me a nice break from intense studying. It would take me back to my childhood and the fun memories of leotards and 2x4s. Yes, I believe I hear it calling my name.