Yeah, sorry about this, someone resized my terminal and 'vi' word wraps
from the number of characters from the end, not the absolute number of
chars. Sorry!
> Coming from the juggling world (no don't run me over, please), I find nothing
> at all objectionable in the word 'trick'. I'll make you a deal, though: I'll
> try to use 'skill' if you guys promise to reply in 80-column format! ;)
> Actually, I ought to be able to get a better terminal emulation soon, so never
> mind. As far as 'trick' goes, however, (and since we seem to be a very
> word-conscious group, I might add!) I understand how it might grate on someone
> considering the amount of work one puts into these skills. I'll try to be
> conscious of the usage. Those of you that grow red-faced and cross-eyed at the
> sight of the word might also try to keep in mind that when we say 'trick,' we
> not only are using a comfortable colloquialism, we're expressing the fun we
> derive from the building of that particular skill. The flippancy of the word
> expresses a fun connotation that 'skill,' albeit a word that denotes more
> accomplishment, doesn't carry for folks like myself.
I agree: the word 'trick' is just a colloquialism here and simply a
linguistic label for doing something out of the ordinary. I think it's
easy to get so involved in an issue like this that it becomes difficult to
detach oneself again and re-enter the world outside the discussion (ie
views of Jo Random) and certain things take on an unrealistic
importance/significance. Everyone's interpretation of words is
slightly different and for me certainly the nuances and subtleties of
'trick' vs. 'skill' I suspect would be lost on the public.
They may even have a negative ('hmmph') reaction to someone ever
heightening the status of riding a unicycle to anything more than a
'trick' (not in the sense of deception) when to them it is in fact just
some bizarre but novel entertaining activity out of a circus.
Anyway, my guess is that this is all of academic interest (ie none
whatsoever to most people) so I apologise for rattling on about it!
One issue I felt percolating through from the differences in Jack and
Matthew's attitudes is how they feel about the public's perception of
_them_. Crudely, I get the impression Jack feels perhaps in some way
wronged that the public should think his efforts degraded by
labelling them 'tricks' and there's a move to rectify this by
impressing upon them the skilful nature of the sport. (And damned
skilled it is too.)
Matt I suspect (and me for sure) feel less concerned about people's
attitudes. My rather cynical belief is that most people know shit and I
couldn't care less. For those that _do_ appreciate it (most people's
exposure to my skills is simply riding down the road), I'm pleased and
faintly gratified that they're interested.
(From my posts you may get the impression I have a bad attitude to the
public in general: this isn't particularly the case, just that England
is full of groups of under 25 male twats who think they're supremely
hilarious when they come up with original lines like 'you're missing a
wheel' etc. and who quite frequently hurl abuse (especially when they
have female company), basically 'cos they feel they have their nose put
out of joint by seeing someone do something they can't.)
Why do us lot ride unicycles? Is it to impress others or ourselves?
My own reasons were originally to help my balance purely to improve my
BMX (I was _obsessed_: I started all sorts of bizarre stuff then, like
regular stretching, yoga, balancing on tommy bars on bricks (X-shaped
car wheel-removing tools). I'd even practise (with the bike) in the
kitchen). It also appealed as learning another skill for the sake of it
(most skills that I'm accomplished in have no obvious use, except
perhaps shorthand).
Once I realised that I was in fact reasonably good at it, and learning
tricks didn't require months of dedicated practise, it took on a certain
'quick-fix' attraction when I wasn't getting anywhere with BMX flatland.
(Even now, at my intermediate level, uni tricks don't take ages to
learn.)
I'm not particularly interested in the showing-off side of it. In fact
it's quite rare for anyone ever to see any of the tricks/skills I can do
on it except if they happen to chance upon the car-park I'm practising
in, and even then it'd typically be past 10pm. My buzz (and it's a big one)
comes simply from being able to do something I couldn't do before which
applies to everything I do. Whether someone reckons it's cool or not
(to me) is pretty much irrelevant.
I must admit though, it can be galling having spent two months
frantically learning say, backyards in tight circles (gliding, facing
backwards on the rear axle of a BMX with the bike upside down, front
wheel in the air) to the exclusion of every other trick, and then have
some poxy kid say 'nice, but you can you do a wheelie?'
Food for thought, or perhaps the 'delete article' key...
Cheers, Paul.