Why are you doing that?

I'm not outgoing, I'm not confident,
I'm not the product of a long line of performers,
I'm not poor, I'm not rich,
I'm not under qualified,
So why the hell do I want to be a street performer?

It's a bright sunny day in 2009. Like most students I had seen this as a great opportunity to neglect lectures and head to the park. The place was a hive of activity, footballs flying and frisbies cutting through the air on their path to the next infinitely trendy student. Beautiful girls were sat in circles dotted about the area with the odd impossibly confident male who had infiltrated their ranks. I walked alone slowly enjoying the summer atmosphere, my backpack full of equipment for my practice session.

Finding an area out of sight of most I removed the items of which I was so familiar from my backpack. A picked up the 5 delectably round balls and instantly felt conscious of the bored eyes around me. I threw and caught the balls sustaining a pattern calling on over 10 yeas of practice. My head started to wander as is one of the brilliant aspects of juggling, what was going on around me? I knew that people would be watching what they would probably be now calling 'juggling boy'. I start to hope that I am attracting cheers and excited pointing, perhaps even stealing the thunder of the infiltration expert male (who at this point id decided I hated).

I dropped.

Glancing down I recoiled at the shock of seeing a woman standing only a few feet away from me. Still with a head full of fantasy, I readied myself for praise. “Hello” I said, waiting for the statements of wonder that I was sure to follow from my new friend.

“Why are you doing that?” She said. That was it. Nothing more elaborate, and said with absolute confusion.

“I enjoy it?” I replied, my ego shattered into a million pieces. With that she turned away and carried on her day.

Hello I'm James, a 25 year old run of the mill English guy and that situation happens far often than you can imagine.

This blog marks the start of an adventure I've assigned to myself, an adventure which many would see as a sentence, and I'd be inclined to agree. An adventure I'm going to record in embarrassing detail here. Simply, I am going to become a street juggler. I have no idea why, I am scared to death of the prospect, but all I know is that I've always wanted to do, and I've run out of excuses not to.

I am a shy person, and can genuinely put my hand on my heart and tell you that the idea of standing in the street on a busy Saturday and trying to attract attention makes me feel all kinds of sick.

This is my life's too short moment, time to give it a go.