When I look in the mirror I am okay with the reflection staring back at me, in fact I rather like who I have become. It wasn’t to long ago I wouldn’t be able to say that, at least without lying to myself. Some people think I have had a bit of a crazy life so far, but I feel that every past experience helps us in some way or another. I mean what would life be like without some craziness? I am not sure  life would really be worth living, if everything was just handed to us. I mean what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, rite? Although I have had many life changing experiences, only one has helped to mold me into the rainbow I am today.      

            It was October 12^th 2008, the sun was shining and the crisp smell of falling Autumn leaves filled the air. My friends and I were on a trippy mission to what is known as Harvest Festival and Freedom Fair. This counter cultural world has no laws and just about anything goes. I guess that's the reason so many colorful people gather for three days of mind altering experiences each year. This particular year was my first and quite frankly it was just a little over whelming.Several people dressed as fairies wearing wings and bright tutus pranced around, many people indulged in the mouth watering festival foods, while others danced to the music produced by several jam bands.

             One girl struck my eyes like some kind of orange angel sent to capture me. I watched as she gracefully danced to the music while effortlessly moving a hula hoop up and down her body. She danced in a way I had never seen anyone dance before. She danced as if nobody was watching letting all of her emotions out by dropping to her knees, leaving herself vulnerable to the watching eyes interpretations.  I knew she felt some kind of love for what she was doing and I wanted to better understand it.  My friends calling my name couldn’t pull my attention from this messy haired girl spilling her heart out. Finally somebody tugged on my arm and and I reluctantly snapped back to reality and began to follow my friends. Life continued on as usual although the thoughts of this angel ran steadily through my mind,but it wasn't till late December when I finally acted.

            I guess it was fate that I would eventually find myself in hoop. I had been working gymnastic birthday parties for a few months and on this particular day my boss scheduled me for my first party actually working the gym. Everything was going great in till my boss realized that he had only planned activities for a two hour party when it was in fact a three hour party. For whatever reason he came to me telling me that in order to prove that I deserve to work the gym I had to keep all the children entertained while he figured out what to do. I frantically looked around for something that could possibly keep hyper screaming children's attention. I noticed a large stack of hula hoops in the corner of the gym and I went for it. I think I got everyone in the gyms attention when I shouted “who can beat me in a hula hoop competition?” well it turned out that no one including the gymnasts could beat me.

            After months of my mysterious angel haunting my thoughts, and maybe a little help from some hoop god I finally went to a toy store and bought my first hula hoop. I played with it long into the night for weeks, slowly but surly teaching myself how to mimic the motions of the angel I had seen months before. In time I found that there was much more to hooping then I ever imagined. I found that it led to a whole new world, a world where I could finally deal with my problems and open my mind and heart to a new way of life.

            You wouldn’t know it by looking at me but I have a worse back then most sixty five year old men.  When I was in the third grade I was in a bad car accident and was told I would never be able do do anything to physical again. I was stubborn, and didn’t want to stop playing soccer at the time. I know now that I should have listened and stopped before I really hurt myself.

            When I first started hooping my back would feel fine while I was doing it but when I woke up the next morning I would be stiff and the pinching in my lower back was terrible. The pain was almost enough to make me stop but something in the back of my mind kept telling me that hooping was a good thing and that the pain I have now would be worth it later. I didn't know it at the time but strengthening your core muscles helps to improve lower back pain. Hooping has defiantly helps to strengthen stomach muscles. Where before I started hooping I would need to go to the chiropractor at least once a week, now I go once every few months. Don't get me wrong I still suffer with pain that most people my age couldn’t come close to understanding, and there are still days I think I would be better off dead then suffering through the paralyzing pain that shoots through my spine and up into my neck.

            My chiropractor laughed at me one time when I explained to him that sometimes when my back and neck are hurting or when I feel it starting to get bad, I go and have a light hoop session and it helps. At first he didn’t understand, how can exercise especially one that has you moving back and forth help when your in pain? I broke it down in a way that I was hoping made some type of sense. In my defense I told him that people that don't know what there doing use excessive movement while hooping, but those who do it correctly barley move. Basically the way I look at it is when I hoop with a straight back and proper rhythmic frontal thrusting my muscles release. Once my muscles are warm and relaxed I can lay on the floor and stretch them out which helps to re leave some pain. That's at least they way I think and so far its helped me, but then again I might just be a little out of my mind.

            Now here I am two year into this hopefully life long journey, and not only can I move like my angel, but my hoops flow around my body like the rings around Saturn. My entire existence revolves around hooping. Up until recently even if opportunity reached out and slapped me in the face I would turn away. I don't know if I did this because I was afraid or just because I have always thought I was not good enough for anyone or anything. Hooping however has helped me turn the page on my timidness and opened the doors to many new and wonderful opportunities.

            Getting over the fear of talking or performing in front of people is something I am still working on. When I walk out on stage I get so nervous my whole body trembles beneath me. I close my eyes and picture my angel (or who I now consider my hoop mother) pick up my hoops and spin my heart out till the music stops. I still don't know what it is about my hoop mother that makes the though of her shoot tranquility all the way to my soul. Maybe it's the fearless but concentrated look she had on her face that reminds me its okay to be myself and let my true colors shine through.

I find that a lot of times its the simple things that unsuspectingly change us. I  have come to accept things for what they truly are. I try to live by the saying don't judge a book by its cover, corny yes I know, but at the same time if more people were a little more open minded and took the time to get to know and understand someone who is not like them the world would be a happier place. I try to approach each day with an open mind, you never know when or where your angel will find you