The Catch

Carrie Bradshaw said it best when she wrote,

When you’re young, your whole life is about the pursuit of fun. Then you grow up and learn to be cautious. You could break a bone or a heart. You look before you leap and sometimes don’t leap at all because there’s not always someone there to catch you. In life, there’s no safety net. When did it stop being fun and start being scary.

In this episode of Sex and the City (SATC), titled The Catch, Carrie learns about caution, evaluating risk, and letting go. After much disappointment, Carrie finally is successful in letting go and stretches her arms out to another for an unsuccessful catch. She falls and learns a valuable lesson. She does have a safety net after all.

I’ve always found it interesting how parallels can be drawn from one thing to another like this. I first watched this episode of SATC one year ago. This was when I made a conscious decision to take a swing at trapeze flying myself.

For me, the leap (or hop rather) off the platform was truly the hardest part. I did not go on first command. Feeling an overwhelming sensation of fear running through my body when I heard the signal and did not jump. My inner-voice questioned the command, “Did he just say ‘hep’?” After all, one would not want to jump unless all safety measures were in place.

Indeed, he had given the command. I took a deep breath and we started again. “Ready” [bend knees], “Hep” [jump – swing – scream]. Fear and exhilaration fought with each other in my brain. I struggled to hear the commands that followed.

On one hand, it was much like playing on the monkey bars as a little girl – only much higher off the ground. My been-there-done-that reasoning did not account for the difference. This was NOT the same thing.

Of course, I was determined to have a successful flying experience. My 2nd attempt went smoother although I wasn’t successful at the flip dismount until the following swing.

When the time for “the catch” arrived, I’d harnessed my fear with faith and determination. I chalked my hands and forearms, climbed the ladder, and waited from my turn. Before I knew it, the harness was connected and my hands were clutching the bar.

For a successful catch, timing would be essential. I listened carefully. “Ready – Hep.” I hopped off the platform, hooked my legs over the bar and let myself hang upside down as I swung toward my instructor. While trying to smile, I made eye contact and held my arms out towards him. He smiled back, grasped my forearms, then pulled me towards him. And just like that, I was freed from the fears that were holding me back.

Next time, there will be different fears to overcome but today I can enjoy the freeing feeling of knowing that I did have someone there to catch me.