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| I am turning this painting "Release" into a triptych by adding two other panels. |
Yes, it’s true. Many of the things I
needed to know in life, I learned while playing jump rope. Let me
explain.
I learned how to merge. Do you notice
how many people simply don’t know how to do this with discretion? There are the
bullies who drive into traffic like a bat out of you-know- where, always
expecting that an opening is waiting just for them. Sometimes they make it,
causing people like you and me to stomp on our brakes or swerve into dangerous
congestion. Or they slam on their own brakes and wait. By the time an opening
appears, their car is at a standstill.
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| In-progress first panel |
Then there are the turtles; the
terrified ones who creep up onto the ramp, afraid of whizzing cars and trucks.
They don’t have enough speed to merge in, and so they sit with a trail of cars
behind them. These are the people who, when they were kids, either never played
jump rope, or were never good at it.
They were the ones who stood and watched
the rope go around and around, and when the time was right, they stood there as
immobile as slugs. If they finally found courage to jump in, they were so out
of sync that they tripped on the rope – game over.
It’s all about rhythm. There are signs
that alert a jumper when the time is right: the tapping of the rope on
pavement, the height of the rope when it’s time to jump in. It’s all about gut
feel and the rhythms of life; moving when the time is right and taking turns.
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| In-progress first panel. |
I call it tact. Some people naturally
have it. They must have been jump rope pros! They seem to know when to talk and
when to keep their mouths shut. They sense when another person is tense
or angry. They are in tune with other people’s feelings and the rhythms and
patterns of human speech and emotion. Unlike their opposing counterparts who
blurt out insulting remarks without thinking. Tacky!
They are the ones who swerve in and out
of traffic without regard for anyone else’s safety. They are the shoppers who
push past others waiting in line, crashing into them like bumper cars. They are
impatient. They think having to wait is for wimps. Anger propels them. They
don’t have time for games unless they can win. “What’s in it for me?” is the
question that prefaces every action. They are bulldozers in human form.
Cooperation is another skill I learned
while relieving a “turner.” Holding a rope in one hand and a second rope in the
other, I learned to cooperate with the person on the other side. We turned each
rope inward in perfect harmony; first one, and then the other. Turning the rope
also gave me a chance to serve my fellow jumpers.
And when it was my turn to jump and
everyone sang:
“Teddy bear, Teddy bear, turn around,
Teddy bear, Teddy bear touch the ground,
Teddy bear, Teddy bear, stick out your tongue,” etc.
My Coordination was enhanced as I
exercised.
Come to think of it, I don’t remember
seeing any obese kids in my classroom. The games we played at recess kept us
agile and active. Kick ball, volley ball, hop scotch, jump rope, etc. provided
movement, exercise, and friendships as we formed teams and worked together for a
common purpose.
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| Completed "Release Panel 1" 12 x 24 acrylic |
Patience was another virtue we at least
tasted while we waited with 35 other classmates for our turn to jump. When we
all sang together: “I love coffee, I love tea, I love sugar and it loves me. I
love salt and pepper!” We cheered on the jumper as the rope tapped faster and
faster; a surge of anxiety in our bellies as we waited for our own turn to
jump. What did we learn? How about adjusting to changing tempos, new
faces and rhythms? We learned about endurance. The kids who outlasted other
jumpers were the winners.
As everyone sang: “Carol and Lee sitting
in a tree: k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes
Carol with a baby carriage;” I never dreamed, as I jumped and blushed, that one
day I’d have six children. Our chants were always about life, and they paved
the way for future expectations of romance, family and careers.
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| "An Open Book" 16 x 20 mixed media on canvas -- Prints available. |
When we tripped on the rope or failed to
match the turners speed, we picked ourselves up and tried again. We learned to
adjust to added pressures and new environments that helped us as adults. For
example: my first day, on a new job, in a new city, I had to pack up for a move
to a new office across town. At the time, I wondered what I’d gotten myself in
for. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
As I packed up the old files, I studied
and reviewed them. When they were unpacked, I knew how I would file them and
where. I knew which ones were active, and which ones could probably be
archived. I learned how to cooperate with my co-workers. There’s nothing like
the strain of a move to highlight personality and temperament. You find out a
lot about people when they’re working under pressure.
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| "Moody Blues" 16 x 20 mixed media on canvas |
You find out a lot about people by
waiting in lines and driving down the highway. You find out who knows when to
merge and who doesn’t. And you discover discourteous people who refuse to move
left, even when they can, to allow someone else to enter the highway. I swear
these people never jumped rope.
If I had my way, jump rope would be a
part of every Drivers
Ed. Class; maybe even part of college prep. or on-the-job training.
Who knows, there might be fewer accidents on the road and more teamwork on the
job. But that’s just my opinion. What’s yours?
