9.24.2017

Braided Essay - Antelope & Gymnastics

In my writing class last week, one of our exercises was the braided essay. We were instructed to pick a wild animal and an experience we are proud of. We were then given four minutes to weave these two seemingly distinct things into a playful essay that connected them. Many of us found the topics we choose were connected even if we didn't know it at the time. I chose antelope and gymnastics, and had so much fun with the exercise that I decided to expand upon it here. 


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Wind whips across the brown and gold high Wyoming plains, empty except for a herd of antelope. Lean, fast, and strong despite their small stature, these regal animals extend into the horizon seemingly unaware of their dominance and power. They are not a well-loved and admired creature of the wild, but they should take time to seriously consider their strengths.

It was my turn to hit the uneven bars. “Watch out for the male judge,” the other girls warned me. “He’s tough.” Not one to get overly nervous, I sprinted towards the springboard to tackle the routine I had been working on all year.

It is said antelope are the fastest member of the animal kingdom. Now that’s impressive. Why do people make such a big fuss over the other critters such as the elusive wolf, the blocky bison that just stands there lump-like, or the ever-feared grizzly bear?

Bar was my best event but I only managed a fourth place finish at the state championship a few weeks back. Maybe I wasn’t not as good as I thought I was. But I didn’t get overly nervous; I just went for it. I run, jumped, swung, casted. Multiple times a series of maneuvers took me from high bar to low.

Antelope fill the field. They dominate it. You don’t see any moose or grizzly bears here do you? Look who owns this prairie.

I casted, extended, swung, twisted, dismounted, and stuck it. That rocked. Arms overhead, I first turned to salute the judges on the left. The male just smiled and nodded his head as if to say, “That’s the best thing I’ve seen all day.” I turned to the right to salute the other judges, my confidence elevated by the silent endorsement from the male judge. I didn’t know it at the time, well maybe I had an inkling, I am the regional uneven bars champion.

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