I learned to unicycle three years ago at age 51. I'd been trying to learn off and on (mostly off) for about twenty years. Finally I decided that my days of willingness to hurl myself onto the pavement were limited; if I was going to learn to ride, I had to get on the stick. Yes, that's pretty much what it feels like.
Unlike my attempts of younger year, I now had access to Youtube! There I discovered the factoid that changed my attitude: it takes most people about ten hours to learn to ride. Once I learned this, I told myself that all I had to do was practice 10 minutes a day, and I could learn in two months.
It in fact took me almost twice as long as that average person. But I did it all in ten-minute increments, reminding myself I didn't have to get better each time, I only had to put in the 10-minutes' effort and the universe would take care of the rest. It worked. Last year I rode the whole Homecoming route with only minor unintended dismounts.
My unicycle makes its way to my classroom from time to time, and students love to try to ride it. Two years ago a student borrowed it, learned to ride, and now rides a unicycle all over the ISU campus.
Video from Oct. 2011, narrated by my sister and life coach, Adrienne.
Day 21:Do you have other hobbies/interests that you bring into your classroom teaching? Explain.
Reflection: I am utterly swamped with school work tonight. I told my story in the simplest way, and I just didn't have it in me to go into unicycle as metaphor for writing (do the time, trust the universe).
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