Thursday, November 11, 2010

Bohemian Rhapsody and Baton Twirling

While on my daily date with Gym yesterday, my Ipod gifted my ears with "Bohemian Rhapsody"...Glee style.

Instead of sending me into fits of Wayne's World head-banging frenzy, I found myself reviewing choreography. Yep, you best believe my baton competition team twirled to this song when I was fifteen. Commence laughter, but it rocked...literally...it was a mash-up of "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You."

I've been able to bust out my baton for a few of my shows over the past two years and I cannot describe the feeling - the most I can conjure is that it must be the sense of "right" that Harry Potter feels when he picks up his wand.

I watch others play with my baton all awkward and afraid. My baton is an extension of my arm - I spent twelve years of my life with that piece of metal in my hand. I'm actually pretty rusty now, but when I wrap my fingers around the baton, I feel as if I'm home.

I loved twirling baton. I loved competing. I loved dancing. I loved practicing so hard I spun holes in the bottoms of my shoes. I loved learning to work with a team. I even loved getting a fat lip so huge, my lips would touch when my mouth was open.

What passions in life do you have that make you feel home?

6 comments:

Jon said...

For me it's playing the piano. I've played the piano while experiencing every emotion, so it's sort of become a therapy thing for me.

j said...

What part of baton twirling gave you fat lips? Or was it all the action you were getting as a sexy baton twirler?

Janell said...

Wow, that's a good question. For me, generically, it's just whenever I'm in front of a computer and I manage to get in the programming zone. (It requires just the right conditions and usually the world is too noisy or I'm too stressed to really think clearly.)

Heidi said...

For me, it's the stage. I love being in a play or a musical. Working over and over to get the details just right. Not just the lines, but the details of how the character would sneeze or react to an itch. Forcing myself out of my box and becoming someone foreign to my protective world. I take more risks on stage than I do in real life. It's rather thrilling and definitely calls to me when I have been gone too long.

miss kristen said...

First of all...I think I did pretty well with your baton, thank you very much! ;)

For me it's singing. All the world is right when I'm singing. Doesn't matter if it's in the choir, in a show, or in my car.

Larissa said...

I love all of these!
@j- yes, the baton would hit me in the mouth when I would do tricks like a "double front-walk-over" which means, toss up the baton REAL high, do two front flips, and try to catch. Sometimes my mouth tried to catch - it would hurt.
I do love all of these answers and it reminded me of how, when I played piano, I would find comfort in that...how singing a really good power-ballad can cure the blues...and how getting into "the zone" of something you are good at just feels astounding!