Every Tribe has them- those members that are just EXTRA. EXTRA loud, EXTRA enthusiastic, EXTRA happy. Well, in NPDC, we don’t just have a few- we have got a FLOCK. More specifically, a flock of flamingos. One only needs to get to the fringe of a workout before hearing the flamingos natural call- infectious laughter.
In honor of one of the flock taking home the Positivity Award this week, Dustin (AKA The DustyButt), we decided to elaborate on the concept of #FlamingoFriday. I’ll let a few special flamingos take it from here…
Kami F is for fast friends. November Project is where I’ve met some of my fastest friends. Sure, a lot of them are fast AF, but what I really mean is that these hips-in-hugging hooligans are so quick and willing and eager to move past the formal hellos, to make intense eye-contact, to break down barriers, to get real and be vulnerable, and to turn strangers into stranger-friends into Flamingo Friday kinda friends—the kind of friends who are always up for extreme silliness for the sake of it, who will never let you take yourself too seriously, and who definitely won’t ever let you wipe that stupid perma-smile off your face. Happiest Flamingo Friday to all!
Lizzo L is for LOVE. Love for people you’ve know a while, not that long, or for only a few seconds. Just because, at some point, they showed up to an NP workout. And when you share your love and put it out into the world, you open the door for others to put their love into the world too!
Phoebe A is for AWKWARD. I’m an awkward human. I traditionally do not do well in groups… small talk isn’t my thing (I’m from Wisconsin where anything over 40 degrees is getting too warm so I can’t even agree with most people on the weather). Usually I hate working out in groups because that’s embarrassing. I mean, have you SEEN my running form? I am a mediocre athlete on a good day and don’t even get me going on how I feel about mornings. And yet here I am. Instead of exchanging small talk I exchange hugs (but if you ever do want to complain about DC summers, I’m your girl). I can almost fool myself into thinking that my running form isn’t half bad because how you look running here doesn’t matter so long as you’re moving. Even those days when my legs feel like lead and I forget how to move, you people make me feel like a rockstar. And every Wednesday my alarm will go off at 4:24am because I need that dose of flamboyance. So even if you’re an awkward human, know that you’ll always be welcome. After all, flamingos are kind of awkward animals, and they still flock together.
M is for MYSTICAL. The flamingos have a mysterious air about them– but once you approach the flock, you’re in.
Kris I is for Illuminated. “Winter is rough.” Is the G-Rated statement I mutter every other weekday morning while putting on my second pair of pants and my third (READ: fourth) shirt as I look longingly back at my warm bed. I take a deep breath and wander out into the dark winter abyss that’s full of freezing winds, cold bike frames, and my own hot breath trapped under my buff and just as my groggy mind begins to narrow in on exactly what it was I had for dinner last night, I begin to see the bright figures I had been looking for as they move gracefully across the horizon. Bright figures that illuminate the morning sky in all their flamboyance. As I get closer, their bright shirts become secondary to their bright smiles and the cold air is warmed with their joyous laughter. This is followed by a brief moment where I question my sanity as my big toe, that I had lost feeling in two miles ago, I suddenly feel tapping to the music that vibrates everything around us and instantly I am reassured that this is exactly where I should be. I <3 bike. I <3 NP. I <3 flamingo. My <3 Illuminated.
N is for NONSENSE. Pure, utter, nonsense. That is what the flamingos are all about. Need a reason to laugh infectiously for no reason at all? Join the flock!
Dustin G is for GIGGLE. NP makes me smile and laugh every morning, sometimes uncontrollably. NP is a constant reminder that we do not have to take ourselves too seriously and that we always have others to rely on. Through this community of open minded, silly and bad ass individuals, I have fallen in love with mornings, and back in love with DC. Keep that heart open, and you may just fall in love too…
O is for OPEN. The flock (like the Tribe) is EXTREMELY open. They want you, every part of you, your weird, your funny, your quirky, to be in on #FlamingoFridays.
The Flock is SO SO HAPPY
That’s your Friday positivity folks. Have a tremendous weekend and as always…
SPREAD. GOOD VIBES.
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