It all started a few years ago on Christmas when my older sister got a unicycle she requested for Christmas. I thought it was kind of weird and wondered why she would want something like that. She did ride and practice for a little while, but eventually stopped. I tried it and found it very hard and thought it was impossible to learn. Since my house is very old, the dining room has low ceilings with beams and a carpet. I used the beams like monkey bars to practice, which helped a lot. I practiced every spare moment I had, because I thought it was really fun. I taught myself to go forwards, backwards and to turn. Practicing was something I loved to do in my spare time, but it did get frustrating when I would fall. After about four months of practicing every day I finally got it.
I took a chance when I went into my school’s talent show two years ago. I did a hula hoop and rode a unicycle. I’m not always best in front of a crowd, that’s why I was very nervous. I was afraid that I would mess up and fall, so I practiced a lot for it. My routine was to do the hula hoop from my neck, down to my stomach, then to my knees. After that, I rode my unicycle forwards and backwards on stage. Lastly I did the hula hoop while riding the unicycle. Most of all I was afraid of what people from my seventh grade would think, like if it was lame or embarrassing. My friends, family and teachers encouraged me to do it, so I did. A lot of kids found out that there was going to be a unicycle in the show, so more came. The money raised went to charity. On the night of the show I was very nervous and excited. My hands and legs were shaking as I watched people perform before me. When it was my turn I walked on stage and my song started to play, “Don’t stop the Music.” The crowd was screaming the whole time, it was great. I wasn’t scared at all then; I just had to not think about the seven hundred people watching me and just do it. It was so much fun. People never expected someone so shy and preppy to do something like that. There was another round of applause and I got off. The next day at school was really great because I got a lot of compliments on it from students and teachers. I’m glad they liked it.
The next year I wasn’t sure if I should do it again, but the teachers and principals strongly encouraged me to, so I did. I didn’t want to do the exact routine again so I practiced really hard to learn how to do five hula hoops at once, and one on each arm while riding my unicycle. I did all the same stuff as last year as well as this. The talent show wasn’t as big that year but it was still fun. I was more relaxed on stage, I wasn’t scared at all. My song was “Just Dance.” The crowd was singing along, clapping and screaming. I was really proud of myself. The principal loved my act so much she sent me a letter in the mail thanking me and saying how much the crowd loved it and how it was the hit of the show. The video is on YouTube with around 300 views. I now know that I'm not afraid to do something in front of a crowd, and that hard work does pay off.
Since I was in the talent show and know how to do a unicycle I joined the Amazing Grace Circus. In the circus there are shows all around NY on TV and in the summer you get paid to teach kids how to ride the unicycle and juggle. All of the hours at practice there count for community service hours for college. If I had not taken a chance and did that first year on the talent show, I would have never had this amazing opportunity at the circus. It gave people at my school a little more to think about besides me being quiet and girly, which is definitely not the real me. The two talent shows are something I will never forget.