So, when we left off, my friend (whom you now know as Ledgendt) and I were practicing the basic moves of back flips (Ledgendt's girlfriend was also trying, and she got further than any of us, more on that later), waiting until the snow padding of winter to attempt one. Well, my friends, where we pick up now is the winter of that year. We've all been practicing, and now it's time to put it to the test. We went to our friend's house out in the middle of freaking nowhere (seriously, it's the kind of place where an animal in a bush sounds exactly like three men and an axe), went into his field of a backyard, stood in a circle (sort of like a cult meeting) and attempted back flips.
Now, as pretty much anyone who knows how to do a back flip will tell you, the actual action is not even close to the hard part. The hard bit is trying to make that little voice in the back of your head that tells you that this is a stupid idea, stop it, there's no reason for this, if we were meant to go upside-down, gravity would not exist, and so forth, to just shut up. So, we went sort of in order of age. My younger sister went first. She jumped up in the air, started her backwards turn, then freaked out midflight and fell straight on her back. The snow was about a foot deep, so she had more than sufficient padding, and came up laughing, as snow had gone down her shirt (we did this without coats, so we could swing our arms better for more upward force). However, the first attempt was an abject failure. Next it was the friend who's house we were at. He isn't what you'd call the most athletic person, and he did not fare any better than my sister had. I will admit, dear readers, at this point I was getting discouraged. I was not sure if the back flip was possible by any of us, especially in the snow.
But then it was Ledgendt's girlfriend's turn. Now, most days, she has the balance of a hippo on ice skates (though she looks nothing like one), and she doesn't normally seem to possess major athletic ability. Which made it all the more amazing when she jumped, flipped backwards, and actually made it most of the way around, simply falling on her stomach. While we must admit, she did not have the desired form, we could not deny that she had just executed a form of a back flip. Applause was given, as were high fives and white washes. Next it was me. By this point, I'm freezing, and I'm having an amazingly difficult time trying to shut my brain off. As such, I jump, propel myself backwards, then give up and fall on my back. Not one of my more glamorous moments. But I was to be redeemed when, moments later, Ledgendt, probably the most physically capable out of the entire circle, could not get his brain to shut up for long enough to even jump.
Now, Ledgendt, I do apologize for bringing that up (seriously, people, he was pretty cut up over it...didn't help that we were calling him all sorts of coward). So, after we went inside, warmed up and started talking, it was pretty much agreed that this would be attempted again. It was, however, postponed. Indefinitely. Mere days after this almost group-wide failure (almost, because Kittyko, Ledgendt's girl, did sort of manage it), I discovered what would be my next obsession, Fruity Loops Studio, also known as FL Studio, an audio sequencer.
So yes, dear readers, while the free run frenzy did have it's glorious moments, Kittyko managing half a back flip, the playground is lava, etc, it died on one frosty evening when we realized the power of our own minds. An inglorious death, to be sure, but one that was not without its fair share of improvements on our group.
So, dear readers, we close on this chapter of the At Least Once blog, but as with all books after a third grade reading level, there is a chapter two coming up. Our next chapter will focus on my music period, when I was trying to make and mix music. As this was a more recent hobby of mine (and a semi-ongoing one), reference material in future articles will actually include songs that either I or Ledgendt made, remixed, or edited. Ledgendt has some pretty epic tunes under his belt, so you all should look forward to that!
Now, as I promised, I have a surprise for all of you who read all the way to the end. I said that the chapter on free running and parkour was closed. However, due to a recent increase in my general fitness and athletic ability, Ledgendt and I have actually decided to pick up free running and parkour again. Now, as you know, it is winter here in these United States of America, so it will be a while before you see any videos of mad stunts, but you may see us attempting back flips again, as we've both gotten better at the whole not thinking thing. So look forward to that as well. This is Alamane, signing off with a hint of what's to come: A new remix by Ledgendt himself, Super Monkey Techno Ball. This track is a techno remix of a Super Monkey Ball track. Odd choice, but he pulled it off excellently. Listen and enjoy!
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