Let me start this story by saying that I have never been able to do a forward roll, and I have never been able to leapfrog either. Leapfrog is where someone crouches and you jump over them without touching them. Normally when people get involved in a game of leapfrog with me, they end up with bruises so it really is something that I try to avoid. Of course, my friends try to get me to leapfrog at every possible moment just so they can have a laugh at my expense!
Anyway, let's move on to the second part of the story. The whole incident started with a game called the ring of fire. It's a drinking game that uses playing cards, and based on what card you draw, you need to pour your drink into the glass in the middle before passing your turn onto the next person. When you draw a specific card, you need to drink the central glass, which by that time, is probably filled with a disgusting combination of liquids. What I didn't know however is that my friends had a little surprise in store for me. I should probably mention that we held this party because it was my 30th birthday, a significant number to say the least so it was to be expected.
The game started and someone poured some tequila into the middle glass. After a couple more turns, someone else poured in some whiskey followed by some more alcoholic beverages. I knew that something was up, and that the game was possibly rigged so I would need to drink whatever concoction that was in the middle by the end of the game. Of course my friends were all smiling every time something was poured into the middle and this did nothing but confirm my thoughts.
But guess what, somehow the drink landed on me and I had to drink it all in one. It was horrible and it is quite possibly one of the foulest things that I have ever tasted. To say that it went to my head would be an understatement, and I could already feel my legs shaking underneath me. After a few reassuring words from my friends, I stood up and was ready to take part in the next game. I couldn't believe what they had planned.
They came out with frog jumpsuits and they expected me to wear it. Slowly, I put it on and I was very wary about what they were going to ask of me. Bearing in mind, I'd already had a foul concoction that was still lingering in my throat. I looked behind me and my friends were all putting on frog suits as well and that was when I knew there was something going on.
Why on earth would we all be dressed up in frog suits on a Sunday night? That was when the real challenge began. They all knelt down and they asked me to leap frog over them. As you may remember from earlier, I have never been able to leap frog before, let alone after a couple of drinks. In fact, I can't even do a forward roll. So how I would ever be able to leap frog over three people is beyond me.
Anyway, I knelt down with my hands in position, ready to make the leap. I couldn't quite get my head around what my friends were thinking, and I knew that they must be crazy to think that I could leapfrog over three people. I felt the strength build in my legs and I jumped as high as I could. I felt like I was in the air for a lifetime, and they probably felt so as well. I made sure that my legs were tucked in as much as I could and I even went through the extra effort of taking my shoes off as well so nobody would get hurt. I felt my body come crashing to the floor and I skidded across the room. My frog outfit wrinkled around my face and I had to lift up my hood to see what had happened. My friends were all sat there smiling and laughing at me so I thought that maybe I had spun off to the side and hit something, but what I didn't know is that they had put a digital camera on the fireplace to document the whole moment.
I watched the footage back and I couldn't quite believe it. I have never leapfrogged over one person before, let alone three, yet somehow I had managed to do it! Sure it looked a little clumsy but maybe that was the ring of fire that finally gave me the confidence to do it. Either way, I looked to the right after watching the footage and I saw my best friend come out with a cake and candles. I can't tell you how funny and special that moment was to me, because I hadn't seen him in months and I was told he couldn't make it to the party. He too, was wearing a frog outfit and I remember that when we were kids, we always used to practice it together in the school yard.
I blew out the candles and that was one of the best moments of my life, everyone put so much effort into that for me and I came out feeling like I had truly accomplished something. Sure, it was only a game of leapfrog, but it took me 30 years to get it right and I think I deserve all the praise that I can get!