Up On The Tight Rope…

A quick pop quiz: who here can define Funambulism?

Yeah, I couldn’t either.

The word ‘funambulism’ comes from the latin funis rope + ambulare to walk; so, it’s tight rope walking.

I’m sure we all have similar tight rope walking visions, mostly revolving around circuses.

Somewhere between the lion taming and the motorcycle cage of death, men and women – impossibly high in the air – walk, run, leap, and cavort across a piano wire thin stretch of rope.

All while eating yourself sick on cotton candy, popcorn, and soda.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, in 2002, China's Ahdili lived 35 meters (that’s almost 115 feet to you and me!) above the ground for 22 days. During this time, Ahdili walked on the high wire at least five hours a day and, while he was at it, he set another record by walking the longest continuous time on a tight rope – eight hours and 22 minutes.

That’s all good and well, but it’s nothing compared to the tightrope of life with twins.

Sure, life is always something of a tightrope, even without kids. But for the last couple of years, the rope I’ve been walking has really been more of a sidewalk.

But in my defense, it has been a curbless sidewalk and, well, you know… those can be dangerous too. I might have twisted an ankle or something.

I have always been an ‘all or nothing’ kinda guy. So rather than start out, oh, I don’t know, a foot off the ground, I’m going full tilt – 40-stories above the ground, without a net.

And, just for giggles, I’ll be juggling parenting, writing, work, bills, motorcycles, and the wife.

Maybe I should add one of those really long poles funambulists carry.