We are STILTWALKERS! (...and juggling)

It is done.

We have hefted our stilt-strapped feet once now, and there is no going back. It's much harder to be our height now we've tasted the sky.

Brendan:
We finally finished all stilt construction last night, and this morning we ventured forth. Eager to see if I could still do it, I bounded up, took a few steps, sank into mushy grass and fell (as one is supposed to) plop, on my kneepads. Oh it was grand. Next, not having yet discovered the cause of my unsteadiness, I ventured again into mushy ground... realized my mistake and mucked my way out, still upright on stilts, to the delightfully hard and uneven concrete. Eventually I made my way to the stage and juggled a little while up there. Hard to do... Juggling is pretty natural to me now, but even so it requires some concentration, and most of my concentration was on staying upright. No better place to learn than uneven concrete, though, and learn we did.

Stina:
Brendan got up on his stilts first and it seemed okay. Scary looking, but okay. So I sat on the table and strapped on the stilts and Brendan was ready to help me stand and I thought I was ready to stand and then I said "No!" And I couldn't do it. I was petrified. We went to try again and again I said no. And I started crying because I was so afraid. But then the third time, or maybe the fourth, I stood, gripping Brendan's hands with all my will to live. And still gripping his hands he said try walking in place, so I did, and I was still petrified, and then I tried falling, and that was okay. Second time up I was a little less afraid and third time more so and then maybe the by the fifth or sixth time up I finally started feeling good and was able to walk a bit by myself, with Brendan's hands at easy reaching distance. And now I know I can do it.

Last night we went to bed dreaming of roaring crowds filled with thrilled stilt and juggling enthusiasts, and it happened today. People are mesmerized by tallness. The man on the corner on his cell phone as Brendan walked home in stilts related the experience of seeing me second-by-second. He was fascinated (and gave him an extra 6 inches he didn't really have). The people from Pac Med on their smoke break put down their books and halted their conversations to watch us take a turn round good 'ol Jose P.

Mr. Rizal, I think, was proud to see us circle him.