The road to improvement

The best part of learning a new juggling trick, or indeed any new skill is general, is reaching that sublime moment when an action that was once without question absolutely impossible, becomes merely incredibly difficult. The transition from faint hope to tangible improvement and the sense of accomplishment which goes with it is priceless.

I've just started to get the hang of 3 ball palm circles. It's not the flashiest of tricks, but like most contact juggling it exudes a simple elegance I find immensely appealing. My attempts are still faltering and far from fluid, but considering that I began learning this particular move by holding the three balls in my hand and staring at them, willing them to move, it's a vast improvement.

I celebrated by my brief moment of accomplishment by ordering a couple of contact juggling dvd's via the internet. It's as much an act of masochism as anything else, since there are few better ways to put my own skills into perspective than watching others excel in the art. I don't harbour any illusions about the standards I intend to reach, since this is all purely for my own benefit. I'm not about to run away and join the circus any time soon (considered it once, chickened out at the last moment to my eternal shame), so I'm content to improve my repertory at a more gentle pace. Of course, I may feel differently once those dvd's arrive...