You’ll either envy me or think this is WEIRD

Standing on the park’s grass in the evening light, I bent down then stretched out my arms to pick up two loops of the giant fabric before asking, “So….how do we do this?”

Thirty seconds later I am bent double (as much as I can while flapping my arms up and down), laughing harder than I’ve laughed all year.

A few months before this, I had made an investment to become a co-owner. Not of a car, or a home, or even a cute-but-fancy timeshare condo in the Florida Keys.

I became co-owner of one of those parachutes that kids play with in gym class.

Do you remember how joyful they were to play in school? I actually DON’T because we didn’t have them growing up in the UK. But I’d see them in American movies and think OH MY GOODNESS THAT LOOKS FUN!!!!!

Earlier this year, an artist called Sherwin Tija — who I started following after attending his events Queer Slow Dance and Strip Spelling Bee — had idly wondered how much those things costs ($400 is the answer), then put a call out on his (EXCELLENT!!!) Patreon for people to pitch in $20 to buy one. Twenty of us did, and Parachute Club was born.

Back to the park, at our first meeting, we stand around, shaking the parachute and laughing and laughing and laughing. We bounce balls on the top and laugh some more. Then we swoop it up into the air, pull it behind our heads and then under our bums as we sit underneath. It stays up for ages, and all I can think is,

“This is JUST what it felt like to be in a secret hidey hole with my friends when I was a kid.”

Even more interesting is that these people weren’t my friends — at least, before now. We’d all met through parachute club. But the kind of people who want to play with a parachute are the kind of people I want to be friends with so…. same-same.

I went on to borrow the parachute and hold another for friends, and this time, suggested we take turns sitting in the middle. Here are my friends Lamia and Adam; sitting in the middle of the parachute is actually the first time they’d met each other and LOOK HOW MUCH FUN THEY’RE HAVING:

If you’re in Toronto, I’m actually running a Parachute Club that’s open to everyone, this coming Monday evening
(June 16th), 8.30-9.45pm in Christie Pits park (South-East corner). You don’t need tickets, just show up for free (but if you want to invite anyone/show off to friends/reduce my blood pressure, you can RSVP on FB here).

It’s part of Toronto Games Week, an entire WEEK of playing, with tons of free events. It kicks off tonight with the free launch party down by the (120 feet high) Canadian Malt silos, where they are PROJECTING VIDEO GAMES YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLAY onto them. If you’re in Toronto (or know someone who is), you can find out about all the events here: TorontoGamesWeek.com/schedule

If you’re not in Toronto: consider pulling together 20 friends and acquaintances to buy a parachute. Playing with it is REALLY fun. We have a librarian who looks after it (it packs into a small sports bag and is pretty light — ref video here) and a google calendar to book it. I HIGHLY recommend it.

And if you’ve got this far in spite of having ZERO interest in coming or being a parachute owner, here’s a storytelling lesson for you:

ALWAYS start in the action. Then pull out and give context. Then jump back into the action. Context by it’s nature is voiceover and montage and therefore less exciting for our brain. Start in the action scene!

Thanks so much for reading! Are you coming to Parachute Club? WOULD you?? Lemme know in the comments below!

You rule!

xx (Yes Yes) Marsha

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