One thing I really like about flying trapeze is the trust we place in the people we are with during the whole process. We trust the instructor in so many ways. To save us with the safety lines when we make an error that could hurt us when landing in the net, first off. And we place trust in the instructor to tell us what we need to do, or not do, to keep us from hurting ourselves.
We also place a lot of trust in the other flyers. We trust that they will indeed remove the riser when they are supposed to, so we don't hit it, and send the return bar at the right time, so that we can grab it. We trust the others to scoop us if we are a little short of the platform but want to land. We place a lot of trust in each other. And sometimes, it seems to me, flyers are in competition with each other a little, not that we are in actual contests or anything, but some compare how quickly they are learning a trick with the others who are working on the same trick, and I think there is a bit of competition going on. However, no one ever intentionally sends the bar back early or late, just so the other might miss it.
There is even a level of trust in the handling of payments that I don't usually see in other businesses. At the flying trapeze schools I have been to sometimes payment is on an honor system. The money goes in a box, and the instructor trusts that everyone will pay accurately, and everyone does. At the one I go to now, I actually work in the office sometimes, and those of us in the office count on each other to handle the money correctly and the other's decisions are as good as one's own. One doesn't second guess the other.
And, of course, we trust the catcher. Even the beginners notice their trust issues when it comes to the catcher. In fact, trust is one of those things a flying trapeze beginner must deal with, and it often takes the form of trusting the catcher. We place trust in the catcher even when we are doubting ourselves.
As one advances in skills, one learns what to do to land safely in the net if the bar is not returned correctly, or if the timing of the catcher is off a little. So it is not crucial, really, to have the other participants be exactly on time in order to stay safe. But it is important to all of us on a deeper level. I admire the cooperation that goes on while practicing flying trapeze and the confidence in which we trust one another. It's one of those things that makes flying trapeze so special.
We also place a lot of trust in the other flyers. We trust that they will indeed remove the riser when they are supposed to, so we don't hit it, and send the return bar at the right time, so that we can grab it. We trust the others to scoop us if we are a little short of the platform but want to land. We place a lot of trust in each other. And sometimes, it seems to me, flyers are in competition with each other a little, not that we are in actual contests or anything, but some compare how quickly they are learning a trick with the others who are working on the same trick, and I think there is a bit of competition going on. However, no one ever intentionally sends the bar back early or late, just so the other might miss it.
There is even a level of trust in the handling of payments that I don't usually see in other businesses. At the flying trapeze schools I have been to sometimes payment is on an honor system. The money goes in a box, and the instructor trusts that everyone will pay accurately, and everyone does. At the one I go to now, I actually work in the office sometimes, and those of us in the office count on each other to handle the money correctly and the other's decisions are as good as one's own. One doesn't second guess the other.
And, of course, we trust the catcher. Even the beginners notice their trust issues when it comes to the catcher. In fact, trust is one of those things a flying trapeze beginner must deal with, and it often takes the form of trusting the catcher. We place trust in the catcher even when we are doubting ourselves.
As one advances in skills, one learns what to do to land safely in the net if the bar is not returned correctly, or if the timing of the catcher is off a little. So it is not crucial, really, to have the other participants be exactly on time in order to stay safe. But it is important to all of us on a deeper level. I admire the cooperation that goes on while practicing flying trapeze and the confidence in which we trust one another. It's one of those things that makes flying trapeze so special.
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SF Bay Area
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