Cascadia Juggling Festival

continued

Even though the general feeling here is joyous and playful, the grim couple revealed another side — an element of determination, of striving to get better, to learn tricks, to show off skills. "Juggling is great. It's a stress reliever," a handsome thirty-something told me while tossing his clubs. "It teaches you how to not give up. This is not just a desperate attempt to cling to our youth. It's a good form of exercise, mental exercise as well as physical. I haven't seen a juggler bite it yet, although I have seen them do some stupid things."

I'd have to agree with that. Earlier, I'd seen a fella balance a pole on his forehead with a bucket on top. His buddies were tossing Ping-Pong balls into that bucket — with their mouths. They called it "mouth propelling." I call it hilarious.

The Ann Arbor Juggling Arts Club holds its annual Cascadia Festival at the Wide World Sports Center on Friday and Saturday, May 13 and 14.   

[Originally published in May, 2005.]