Tiffany McKinney

So eventually it's my turn.

Now these people, some of them apparently had had circus training prior to that day.

Because they were up there spinning and doing all kinds of flips and tricks.

And I'm mesmerized, not thinking eventually it's gonna be my turn.

But once I grabbed onto the rope and I felt the weight of myself like,

I promise you, it was not until that point that I actually thought about it.

And like, reality crash, it like slapped me in the face.

And I'm thinking, first of all, I'm heavy.

Second of all, I mean, I'm probably the oldest one in this room.

I was older than everybody, including that little instructor.

And I'm out of shape, but I'm there now.

So I'm holding on and I'm trying to pull myself up.

And as I'm trying, I managed to get like two feet off the ground, but my foot is tangled up in the fabric and it's squeezing it so tightly and it hurts.

So I kind of fumbled my way down and I'm embarrassed and I'm sweating.

Okay.

And I'm out of breath.

But everybody is just kind of gracious and we just go with it and the instructor continues to tell us how to do these other tricks on the silks and every time, I'm last in the line of four and these people just get up there and spin around and make it look so easy and it's my turn and I'm out of breath and I'm out of shape and I'm so embarrassed.

So about an hour in, we take a break and at this point, I am just overwhelmed, I'm so humiliated and I'm still sweating.

And I just decided, first of all, I couldn't look anybody in the face.

So I just said, keep your head down, get your purse, get in the car, go home.