I started having not-good ideas at an early age. I mean, we all did, right? But at some point, most people grow out of following through on them. They get smart or scared, or both, and they realize that not-good ideas are called that for a reason. I think I missed a step there, though, because I’m still a huge fan of the not-good ideas. So huge a fan, in fact, that I’m writing about them. The first two “sure, why nots” that I can remember did not turn out well for me, so I really don’t know why I planted my flag so firmly in the not-good idea camp.
(SIDEBAR: That sounds like a spectacularly bad place to send your children for sleep-away camp, doesn’t it? Not-Good Idea Camp, where the marshmallows are roasted on bamboo, the friendship bracelets are made out of twigs, and the counselors answer every question with, “Eh, see what happens!”)
I’m really not sure which one came first, but both of my eight-year-old not-good ideas were physical: jumping rope while wearing roller skates, and turning a cartwheel while holding a stick in each hand in an attempt to have the sticks (instead of my hands) support me while I was upside-down. Both ended with tears and bloodshed. But you better believe I learned some lessons.
In the first case, I discovered that just because I can do two activities separately, it doesn’t mean that I should do them both at the same time. Each activity introduces variables into the equation that increase the difficulty factor of the other. So, maybe it’s better just to do one thing at a time. Rock that one, then move on to the next one. Fewer skinned knees that way.
In the second case, not only did I learn the value of working up to a challenge (like maybe try a handstand on sticks before a cartwheel), but I was also introduced to the concept of “prepare for the worst, hope for the best”. You see, I attempted this trick on a walkway “paved” with crushed clamshells. Not the softest of landing surfaces for my inevitable face-plant. Next time I tried something that may or may not have worked out, but it involved me being inverted or at the mercy of momentum, I certainly did my best to ensure myself of the softest possible landing, no matter which end touched down first.
All good lessons. Still applicable in my life. Still haven’t succeeded in doing a cartwheel with a stick in each hand.
Carmen Contra 