This semester, I took a parkour class. I can’t say I just did this randomly in an effort to try new things; this was far out of my comfort zone, and I needed something to push me. In one of my classes, we were given the assignment to try a new activity and write about the experience. I’m not in good athletic shape right now, I’m very short, and I tend to avoid risky physical activities, so taking a parkour class was the smartest, most logical decision for the project.
Most people only know parkour from The Office episode where they keep yelling “parkour” while doing various uncoordinated activities. Michael does a summersault on a sofa and kicks over a lamp. Dwight runs across people’s desks while they’re trying to do work. And Andy does a leapfrog jump over Dwight. While this is probably an accurate depiction of how I would do parkour, the actual activity should look a little different. For those who don’t know, parkour is a type of training where you try to move from point to point quickly, creatively, and only using your body.
My dad said that taking a parkour class was one of the last things he’d imagine me doing and that he would have paid good money to sit in on the class. My brother laughed and told me I better record a video so he can have embarrassing evidence to hold over me. And my mom was supportive as always, even though I’m sure she thought it was ridiculous too. Now, as a disclaimer, I did not run up walls and flip off ledges. I value my safety.
When I got to the class, I clearly didn’t fit in. There was the super fit, competitive guy who had clearly done parkour before and wanted to show off in a beginner class. There was the dad trying to find some new, fun way to keep himself in shape. There was the woman who was covered head to toe in tattoos. There were a couple skateboarders and a couple people wearing cargo pants.
And then there was me, the short one who couldn’t do half the moves because I wasn’t tall enough. I was the one who was sore for four days after doing a few jumps. I was the one whose lifestyle and personality didn’t really fit the parkour culture. This is pretty much the scene I expected, although unexpectedly, everyone was very welcoming.
It’s usually the same story when I try something new. Everyone else comes with a friend. They’re friendly enough but not really looking to meet new people. So the next time I try something new, I want to have the comfort of a friend as well. I tend to avoid new group situations without dragging a friend along, but I went alone to this class. I needed to push myself to leave that security behind.
While I didn’t make any new friends, I appreciated that everyone was kind and welcoming. This was particularly comforting since I was about to embarrass myself for an hour and a half.
The first thing I saw was a huge structure made of many thin metal pipes. It wasn’t very wide, but it was very very tall. I’m not usually afraid of heights, but I was in this case. Turns out, it wasn’t an issue anyway because I wasn’t tall enough to reach the higher pipes.
We practiced jumping with a stable landing. We tried to run across some thin pipes. The instructor made me the example for what a bad jump looks like. I fell off the pipes many times. I definitely made a fool of myself over and over again, but I didn’t care.
I always want to be one of those people who maintain confidence and composure or at least be someone who always appears confident. But that’s never been me. I try to work on that constantly, and I’ve gotten better by pushing myself to face situations that I would usually get self-conscious in.
I’ve been going to career fairs. I enrolled in a public speaking course. I talk to people at parties on my own without tagging along behind a friend. This parkour class was also one of those situations. Each time I can avoid becoming self-conscious, it makes each nerve-wracking situation after a little better.
During the class, I looked at each person a little more carefully as we started our warmup. No one cared what I was doing. One guy was there to show off, but the others were there to learn. And even if they did care what I was doing, I decided I wouldn’t care. I was in a new place, a fresh slate. I was with people I’d probably never see again. And besides, it was unavoidable that I would do something embarrassing, so I might as well embrace it.
I didn’t make friends in the parkour class. I didn’t particularly enjoy doing parkour. But I got a good story out of it. I got a decent workout in. And most importantly, I maintained confidence in a situation where I would usually get uncomfortably self-conscious. I’m not sure my parkour abilities will ever exceed those of The Office, but I had fun trying.
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