Written by Karen D. Swim
Yesterday, my family gave a surprise party to celebrate my mother’s 70th birthday. The first thing I saw when I arrived on the street was the top of the moon bounce peeking over the top of my sister’s house. (A moon bounce is kind of like an enclosed trampoline, except bouncier.) Now this could make things a lot more interesting! After carrying food and flowers to the yard, I chatted and laughed with family as we waited for the birthday “girl” to arrive.
After 20 minutes, I could no longer hold out and placed my high heel shoes next to the row of tiny sneakers and pink moccasins. Heck, they didn’t have these things when I was growing up and it looked fun. While whooping and hollering it up with the kids and my nutty cousin Lisa (who is my age and crawled in right before me) it occurred to me that life is a lot like a moon bounce.
The window of opportunity is sometimes a tiny opening. To get into the moon bounce, there is a tiny little opening at the top of a small ramp. You can’t just walk up and enter the bounce. You have to walk up (without falling off the side) and then propel or slither your way in under a flap that opens just a wee bit. In life, some opportunities are behind the tiniest of doors. They may not even appear immediately visible. However, when you make it up the ramp and shimmy through, you are pleasantly surprised on the other side.
Bouncing on one side causes imbalance. If you bounce on one side of the moon bounce you risk sliding downward. Bouncing in the middle is ideal allowing you to veer a little to the left, or right with no risk of injury. When you bounce on one side in life (such as work) you risk the other things sliding off to the side.
It’s easier to bounce higher once you have momentum. Once you find your footing and are bouncing up and down, it is much easier to bounce just a little higher without much effort. Sometimes in your life you’re on a roll, or a bounce. You have tackled a challenge or completed a major project and your confidence is pretty high. In those moments, it is easy to get started on a new goal or accept another challenge because you are already in the air.
When bouncing around, keep your eyes alert. While bouncing up and down, me and my nephew decided on flips at the exact same moment. Like two unwiedly underwater acrobats, we dove from opposite directions and collided. Luckily, only his hands smacked me in the head as he landed across me. We collapsed in giggles. Sometimes we are going along in life, bouncing around and out of nowhere (or so it seems) an obstacle collides in our pathway. It’s important to keep your eyes open so that you don’t crash!
After moon bouncing, and later being bounced off the ramp to the grass, I was a little less than ahem photo ready. Life can toss you around at times too. You may fall down, and even get smacked in the head, but nothing that can’t be all forgotten with a little cake!
How, about you? How’s your bounce these days? Are you soaring high or tumbling around? What are your tips for staying grounded while still enjoying life?
This entry is a contribution to Robert Hruzek’s August Group Writing Project, Metaphors for Life. If you would like to participate, there is still plenty of time. The deadline for entries is August 10th. Thanks Robert for allowing me to explore the ongoing hilarity of life with this project!
my kids just love to jump around on trampolines and they are sort of addicted to it.-‘*
Luke, LOL! Good catch! You may even notice a bubba or two. 🙂 Hruzek is indeed an influence and a mighty good one. 🙂
This is the first time I have seen “ahem” on your blog. Is Hruzek starting to rub off on you at this point?
I have caught myself starting to use “sound of” a few times lately on my blog and in person. I think he is contagious. 🙂
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Hi Jenny! You would love the moon bounce, although trampolines are fun too! However, with the bouncy thing, there’s no denying you’re being a big kid, trampolines are “acceptable” toys for adults. LOL!
I so wish I had one of those when I was a kid. I rarely got to play on an actual trampoline when I was a kid, these look like way more fun!
Interesting way to look at life, I’ll have to come back several times and re-read this!
Great Post Idea!
Jennys last blog post..I Did It!
Hi Jackie! Thank you for sharing the memory and laughter! I really enjoyed reading your story and can only imagine the looks when it started to deflate! LOL! I would love to have seen that live and in person. I would love to see those pics! It is so fun to let go and allow ourselves to be a kid again, if even for an afternoon. 🙂
Hi Karen – this took me back. When my daughter was 5 ( 19 years ago) we hired a bouncy castle for the littlies. When the party owas over my daughter had to fight the oldies off to get space on it. Then it started to deflate ( we had deliberately taken the pump that keeps it up off – if you catch my drift ) and you could see the “adults” looking round to see who had bounced too hard ( or maybe needed to lose a few pounds). At the end of the day when all that was left was a pile of deflated plastic we had some pics of people sitting on it…remembering the fun and wishing it could go on forever.
Enjoying being 5 again …
Jackie Camerons last blog post..Life is like a game of golf
I’d love to get in one of these things! You’re right, they didn’t have these when we were kids. In fact, when I was growing up, you were lucky if your parents let you have your party at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Hmm, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a trampoline either.
Hi Rebecca! Tunnel vision seems to be a common problem for all of us, doesn’t it? I mean life happens and we can expect that there will be things that stop the bouncing. In the same way when we meet with obstacles it’s equally important to widen our focus.
Jaden, I love those life keys! Sounds like the elements of a great screenplay. 🙂 Life is food related…hmm, I can so relate to that! LOL! I can’t wait to read it! Thank you also for the screenwriting challenge. Because of you I had a breakthrough with my half started book. Amazing how viewing it through a different lens gave me a whole new perspective.
Hi TL! I am so glad you bounced over. 🙂 Thank you!
Now off to catch up with all of you on your blogs. Got my coffee and can’t wait to chat. 🙂
I love the comparison and have to admit, I have never thought about it that way! I love it and will keep this in mind! Thanks Karen!
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Fantastic! I cried. I laughed. And you reminded me of a few life keys… momentum, observation, and balance. Beautiful.
This is how my brain works, frequently, relating to strange things and trying to learn something from it. I will write my post of a metaphor for life I thought of 10 years ago that helped me a lot to stay focused on my goals. Will probably post next month as I already have my line-up. Mine is food related.
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Hi, Karen –
Excellent metaphor – especially the part about keeping your eyes open so that you don’t crash. It’s very easy to have tunnel vision when it comes to work, family, and life in general, but it’s important to stay alert so that we don’t get knocked over by colliding obstacles (e.g. illness, relationship problems, debt).
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Robert, oooh the ball pit is up next! LOL! If they’ll let me in, I am totally up for it!
Brad, I highly recommend it! 🙂
Friar, ROFL! The chair, the chair, oh man it still makes me collapse in laughter although Brett siaid it was the chair and not you! 🙂 Unless you weigh 600 pounds, I think you’d be good! LOL! Oh man, the chair! LOL!
Lillie, congratulations! At least you slip in under the wire, I normally just miss it! Yee haw we did good this month! LOL! My mom didn’t jump but if you could have seen the look on her and grandma’s face – priceless!
Ellen, there is no end to my wackiness that I can promise! LOL! I am going to get you to bounce with me – hmmm maybe we’ll have to scope one out at a fair or Farmer’s Market. 🙂
Evelyn, the bouncy castle was therapeutic. It’s hard to be serious when you’re jumping up and down inside of an inflatable toy! LOL! If you get the chance, do it! I met a lovely gentleman from Singapore last night (via radio). His name is Stuart Tan. If you don’t know him I’ll have to connect you two! He is quite the entrepreneur and he is on his way to being an NLP master.
Andrew, I hope neither of us ever grows that old! May life be filled with bouncing and laughter. 🙂
Kellye,I am so glad I could share the fun. I agree with you I feel sorry for people who are afraid to look silly. I happen to be a goof and rather than try to pull out a fake “I’m perfect” I have embraced my goofiness. LOL! I gotta tell you I’m pretty sure that I am having way more fun than the ahem “perfect people.” 🙂
Hi Karen – this post is great fun, and full of wisdom! I might add that in life you have to be unafraid of looking silly — just like you and your nutty cousin. I think that might be why some people never go through the tiny openings and find the fun of bouncing around. Poor them! 🙂
Karen,
A wonderful metaphor for some of life’s lessons.
I consider that those moon bouncy things for children, so as a thirty-one year old child, I gather they are meant for people like me (as per the cake).
Perhaps when I’m a grown up, I’m stop enjoying those things.
Cheers
Andrew
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Good luck for the competition. I enjoyed reading your metaphor very much.
Incidentally, my kids just went to a party on Sunday which also had a bouncy castle. We call it “bouncy castle” over here in Singapore. I did not get a chance to bounce though; it was crawling with kids. Wish I had; a bounce might have just inspired me with something witty to say here…LOL!!
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Oh Karen, my life has been to much like the moon bounce.
You never cease to amaze me with your analogies and story telling. What will you come up with next? Moon bounce! Maybe it’s a new nickname. hehe.
This is very much like flowing with the Tao. Let the river flow! Whatever your persuasion….
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Karen … and Robert,
A moon bounce is a great metaphor for life. I was waiting to hear you say your mother took a turn to celebrate her 70th birthday!
I know Robert will find this hard to believe since I always just slip in under the wire. But this time I have my entry written to post on Wednesday. And it want it on the record that I wrote it before I read Karen’s post or Robert’s comment. 🙂
@Karen
You know, I’d like to try a Moon Bounce one day, but I’m afraid with my large size, I’d probably break it.
(Remember Brett’s chair?)
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At the Splat Creek Festival this weekend, they didn’t quite have a moon-bounce, but they had something similar. Kind of an inflatable obstacle course.
(I like to think of it as a Containment Facility for all the little screaming rug-rats).
Of course, there were all the disclaimers and warnings posted. Participants may feel vertigo. Caution, unsteady walking surface, potential danger or falling and abrasions, please read the rules carefully..
Like….DUH!!!! (Perhaps they’d feel happier if we walked on a bubble-wrap floor with safety harnesses?)
Moral of the story, if Life is a Moon Bounce, there is always some bozo trying to suck all the fun out of it with all their stupid rules and regulations.
But, like a Moon Bounce (or Life), be like a kid. Don’t pay attention ot the fun-suckers’ rules. Just play and enjoy yourself.
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Ooh! A ball pit sounds fun! 🙂
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Karen, that’s quite a metaphor! I’ve always wanted to go in one of those things – next time, because of your post, I will!
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So when do we get to do a swan dive into the “ball pit”?
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Hi Joanna! My sister takes photos all the time but she never shares them! She had her camera out yesterday so I’ll have to wangle her to upload and send. When I get them I will share, I am sure it will provoke laughter. 🙂 I am having a rather bouncy day today too. I hope you are as well! 🙂
Hi Robert! *hands outstretched to pass cake* It was quite yummy too! Of course I had to hide from my nephew to actually taste it! Thanks Robert for allowing me to participate. 🙂
Hi Amy! If you ever have a chance to jump in one, it is really fun! Since it was in our yard, we didn’t have to worry about rules and it was a blast! I’ll pass along the birthday wishes to my mom, she will love it! 🙂
Hi Ulla, Happy Vacation! Whoo hoo! I love that you are merrily (and boldly) bouncing. I know that we can expect great photos when you return from vacation. As I was bouncing up and down yesterday, I forgot about all the things I had to do. It was like a mini-vacation. Enjoy Ulla! 🙂
Karen, I deeply enjoyed reading your post. I can imagine you bouncing up and down! Regarding myself I am neither soaring up nor tumbling around – just merrily bouncing up and down – I am enjoying the first day of my vacations. I have (boldly?) decided to enjoy every day of it, and I will, I will, I will.
Ulla
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Karen, this is brilliant, but I’m so disappointed there aren’t photos of you bouncing! I’ll have to rely on my imagination instead 🙂
I love the part about the narrow entrance way. That is so, so, true.
Hope you’re having a bouncy day!
Joanna
Karen — I like the moon bounce analogy. They have one of those things at our farmer’s market, and I’m always tempted to climb in. Unfortunately, you have to be under four feet tall and I just barely miss that cutoff. LOL Happy birthday to your mom!
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I gotta say, Karen – this one takes the cake! (And by the way, where’s MY piece?) I have to admit to being bounced around a few times, both intentionally and by accident. But what the hey. Very nice metaphor and great applications, too. Way to go!
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..What I Learned From… Metaphors for Life