When my friend Leah originally told me this story over the phone, the rendition was repeatedly interrupted with my cackling and shocked exclamations. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

I taught myself how to juggle when I was ten, went to circus camp at 13, and ultimately served as president of my college’s juggling club: the Anti-Gravity Society. So, when the patriarchy tells me that girls can’t juggle, I decide to play a little joke on it.

I’m at a local evening gathering when somebody busts out the juggling equipment. Of course, this catches my attention. I mosey on over and started squeezing various balls, testing what sort of different weights and sizes are around. Apparently, one male bystander interprets this as me yearning to juggle but currently merely able to — at first I wrote “fondle the balls” here. Then I changed it to “play around with the equipment.” Still not sure what to write, but you get the drift.

“The best way to learn is to start with just one ball,” he says kindly. “Here, let me show you.”

Fortunately, this kind of thing has happened before. And I love it.

“Thank you,” I say sweetly. “Like this?” Playing dumb, I toss the ball back and forth, sometimes really high, sometimes dramatically off to the side, clenching and unclenching my fingers robotically.

“Try to relax a little,” he says.

“Ah yes,” I say. “I think it’s just so easy to get stressed when it’s your first time learning how to juggle.”

He says of course, he understands. Do I want to try two?

Yes indeed! With two, I am sure to do a couple of the “cheater’s juggling” method, where you only actually throw from one hand and the other just passes it sneakily over.

My teacher cuts in to correct me gently and give a little reprimanding finger wag.

I make sure to throw a couple of really awful tosses and I see him smiling a bit. “It just takes time,” he says graciously. “I‘ve seen worse.”

“I think I’m ready for three now!” I exclaim. I know he is thinking that I couldn’t be further away from ready, but I sort of snatch the third ball out of his hand. I fling them all into the air and watch them come plopping down. “Hmm,” I say, sort of puzzled. I do this a few more times. Then, I start juggling for real, throwing in a couple of tricks tricks—tennis, yo yo, reverse cascade—juggling faster and faster.

For a moment, my teacher stares, astonished. Then it sinks in. “Screw you,” he says.

“What?!” I exclaim. “You’re just a really great teacher!”

“You already knew how to juggle!” he cries.

“No, be proud,” I said. “Not anybody can teach a total klutz how to juggle. And especially not in such short time. You‘re good.” I stop with the balls and innocently pick up a club. “Which end do I hold this bat anyways?” I ask.

He walks away. Take that, patriarchy!

chriskelly:

This interview made me so so so so happy.

(via Splitsider)

I think my favorite part of Bridesmaids is towards the beginning, when Annie (Kristen Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) are just hanging out eating breakfast. Make more movies of these ladies chatting, please!!

(This amazing interview starts being in English around 1:20)