Sunday, April 3, 2011

Objective Observation of the "Juggling Ritual"

  This is something that I often do, but never really thought about objectively before.  Am I weird for frequently engaging in the activity described below?  You tell me. 

  Often I will go into a large windowless room at the local student recreation center and bring a large bag made from flexible plastic polymers woven into flat sheets and bound together.  Inside this bag are all manner of strangely shaped and colorful objects.  Some are solid plastic boxes with no lid and a soft leather bound on the edges.  Others are brightly colored plastic hoops that are squished flatter than a quarter of an inch.  Round balls and soft beanbags are present by the handful and clubs that are shaped like elongated bowling pins are also in abundance.  I will then begin throwing these things into the air and catching them repeatedly until they are scattered all about the room.  Many times I will fail to catch them, or will try and throw them up and catch them in a specific pattern.  When I am not able to throw and catch them in a specific pattern I will keep attempting that pattern, sometimes even hurting myself and growing tired and angry.  The excitement I display upon throwing these objects up and catching them in the pattern I wanted is that of a young child who has gotten the toy they asked for on Christmas.  This ritual will often go on for hours until my fingers are bruised and my fingernails broken.  Eventually I gather all the plastic objects off the ground and back into my large bag and leave, tired but visibly happier than when I went in. 

  Is it strange to spend some of my free time like this?  Is how you spend your free time any less strange when you really think about it? 

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