In case you’re tempted to wonder or ask, Yearbook Photos will be published on June 6th. #verbal
Today was a circus. An underwater circus filled with creatures of all kinds, seaweed, and lots & lots of water. The creativity was off the chain and folks did what NP folks do best. They showed up.
If you weren’t there, it was #yearbookphoto day, which is like none other at NP. It’s an opportunity to be seen, individually, and to guarantee that you get into a photo that will definitely be posted on the FB album and that you will definitely tag. For all the world to see. It’s hype. It’s visibility. It’s a confirmation that you belong to this tribe. It’s a social media declaration that this free fitness thing you do is more than just a thing you do. It’s quite possibly something that you get up really early for and even dress up for in ocean hues, sea animal hats and onsies, titanic inspired and Disney mermaid sparkles. Even Chris Payne, who gets paid hundreds of hugs to show up every MWF said he realized he was making some questionable life decisions when before 5am he’s applying green face paint and red lipstick and wearing tree branches on his head. And yet, we get our creativity out of the back of the closet and dust off our weird, in order to meet the challenge of the theme and let our faces be seen.
It’s yet another way that NP stands out among all the “things we do” in our lives, and among the variety of groups, gatherings, and networks in our lives. It gives us a space to be athletes and children. Fierce and fun. Workhorses and wild things. Sweaty and seaweedy. Well, only a couple of people went for the real seaweed and dammit that was smelly. NP definitely gives us space to be smelly too. But mostly sweaty and lots of fun. One little detail of NP is taking yearbook photos, which simply gives us a platform for all of us to be relevant, visible, and valuable to the bigger tribe. (And being able to learn each other’s names doesn’t hurt either.)
On the other side of the workout world, our friend Capozzi had surgery yesterday so he not only didn’t attend the workout this morning, he’s gonna be laid up for a few more workouts before he even shows his excited face at the hills, stadium or a destination deck. I’m sitting next to him now as he starts the recovery process for the surgical repair to his torn meniscus. Today, his costume is made up of surgical compression socks and a sweet leg brace that stabilizes his knee and ensures that no matter how hard he Capozzis, his knee is gonna stay right there. And then there are all the tribe members who were traveling for work, or sick today, or confused about the theme, or injured in other ways, or just didn’t get out of bed and they wont have new yearbook photos to post on June 6th when the album drops. But the true, important thing for us to remember is that Yearbook Photos are not what make us excited to show up–or at least they shouldn’t be.
What really matters about this tribe is the real, human, face-to-face contact that we get when we actually show up! Here’s a question for you: do you think that by the next time we take yearbook photos you can learn as many names as you can which get reinforced in your brain by studying your new friends on Facebook–but can you also make the #InRealLife friendships richer, deeper, and/or more plentiful? Can you feel as confident knowing about what’s going on in people’s lives who are important to you whether or not you’re plugged into the social media? Can you challenge yourself to elevate your NP book of faces on FB to a more consistent SEA of FACES and bundle of friends who you really know IRL? Maybe that’s not what you got into NP for, but what the hell, it’s what NP is about. Making community stronger, connections closer, hugs more real and genuine. And fuck yeah, we’ll keep our bodies in motion all the while. What do you think? Can you do it?
Also, if you’re one of the people who got out of bed so much easier this morning to get your free fitness because of yearbook photos, then just tell yourself we’re taking them every damn week!
PAY ATTENTION to the calendar:
Next Wed: May 31 is #PRday at the stadium AND #GrassrootsGear tagging.
The next Wed: June 7 is at the hills in Brookline. Corey Hill Outlook Park. 5:30 & 6:30am workouts
That Friday: June 9 is the SUMMIT 5.0 workout of a lifetime in Harvard Stadium. 6:30am. GET EVERYONE YOU KNOW. Seriously EVERYONE YOU KNOW to #JustShowUp that day. Let’s blow the roof off the stadium (wait…)
