Some movies are inspiring, others are motivational, The Greatest Showman was both. It was nominated for three Golden Globes, and for good reason. The star-studded cast made the musical what it is. With Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and many many more, it’s hard to go wrong. The story is inspired by the true story of P.T. Barnum: the creator of the circus. Barnum faces financial problems, but through it all, he brings people living in the shadows into the spotlight. The Golden Globe winning song, “This Is Me”, truly shows what this movie is about. Performed by Keala Settle, the song gives a message about accepting yourself before worrying about what others think. It is truly motivational along with “Rewrite the Stars”. Performed by Zac Efron and Zendaya, the song reflects what the characters are going through, what they’re feeling and whether or not they can be in love, break down the walls and rewrite the stars. In the song, the two are up in the air doing trapeze. This is a highlight of the movie, the first scene with trapeze just makes you want to get up and do it. This truly inspiring movie made myself and many others interested in the art of trapeze. Trapeze is usually performed in circuses, but it can also be done in Mystic, CT.

That’s right! In Mystic CT, there is a company, Fearless Flyers, where one can learn the art of trapeze. I was inspired by The Greatest Showman to try trapeze for the first time. Walking into the building, I was nervous of course, but that quickly went away. First we got harnesses on, to keep everyone safe, and then we got a simple instruction. My instructor, Olivia, explained to us everything that would happen once we got to the platform. She explained the commands and how everything would feel. The scariest part by far was climbing up the ladder to get to the platform. But once I was up there it was a whole new world. I heard the commands “ready,” I bent my knees, “hop” and off I went. Soaring through the air, more commands came. “Forward,” I kicked my legs forward, “back” and back they went. Finally I let go of the bar and fell to the net. Once on the ground, I felt like a whole new person. The rush I got after being in the air for only a few seconds was indescribable and I was ready for more. The next run we did was the knee hang where we hung from our legs. We did this trick a few times to get it right, then we attempted the catch. Our instructor for the lesson was Olivia; she went to the other swing and got in position. When it was my turn, I got into position, and waited for the commands. “Ready” bent legs, “hop” off I went, “legs up” up and over the bar, “hands down.” I was swinging from my knees, “reach” I stretched as far as I could and reached for Olivia’s hands waiting to hear her say “got.” I didn’t hear it. I was only a second off with the timing, but that was enough to make the trick not work. I finished out the knee hang trick and landed on the ground. I was very disappointed I didn’t make the catch, but it didn’t matter. It was an incredible experience that I’ll never forget. But luckily it won’t just be a memory; I was invited back for another lesson, which I gladly took. If one ever needs a chance to get away from the stress of the world, Fearless Flyers is the place to go and rewrite the stars. It’s time to take watching a movie to the next level.

Erin Tolles, Staff Writer

Sophomore Erin Tolles is a staff writer for the 2017-2018 Colonel. Erin, a.k.a. ‘CRAZY CAT LADY’ enjoys singing and playing her ukelele. She would much rather be in summer camp being a super cool counselor than in school. Erin is obsessed with popcorn and Harry Potter, like most normal people, and flees America and travels to Austria annually.