Have you ever seen the movie, Jump! I was recently introduced to it, and for those who haven’t watched it, here is a brief rundown. It follows competitive jump rope teams as they try to achieve their ultimate goal – world champions. Yep, you read that right. There is a sport dedicated to jump roping just like football, soccer and tennis. I didn’t know such thing existed either. Candid and intimate, the film shows the dedication and commitment players have towards the sport. This is their life. There is also a strong camaraderie, you quickly realize that the teams are a family with slogans and saying just like us sewers (me-made, UFOs, FBA, oonapallooza).
What hit home the most was their struggle to “prove” to non jump ropers that jump roping is cool. I get this response when I tell people how I spend every ounce of my extracurricular time – sewing. “Oh, you sew?” The responses get even more awkward when I tell them I make and teach lingerie, especially to men. Maybe you’ve received these responses and maybe you haven’t, and you may want to respond to them this way and maybe you don’t: “Yeh, and I sew cool shit too…” I’ve always been a sensitive to bullying, mocking or belittling. My philosophy is that as long as you’re happy with what you’re doing, albeit not hurting yourself, I’ll support you. Personally, I admire people who do something unique and different. Wife carrying, royal shrovetide football… did you know there’s an extreme ironing sport? Now that’s cool!
Do you get slack for being a sewer? If so, how do you respond?