#460 The Childhood Super Jump

Neil Pasricha

Close your eyes and let your brain slip back …

You’re a tiny tot holding big hands walking down a sandy beach. As the sun sets over the glittery water the salty ocean breeze hits your hair and your feet squish into cool sand as somebody suddenly yells out “1-2-3 Wheeeeeeeeee!”

Your eyeballs pop, your chest lifts, your hands are squeezed tightly, and up you go…

AWESOME!

— Email message —

“I love 1000 Awesome Things but I must admit that I find it really tedious that every single entry is followed by an email message. I remember when I started reading the site and I could just read through the posts and enjoy each one more than the last. Now when I get to the bottom of each, I inadvertently start reading other people’s messages. After 2 or 3 testimonials, it gets a little boring. I love the site and am glad you are touching peoples lives. But can you possibly make it so that you don’t automatically see these messages? I am inclined to forget about the awesomeness if I have to keep reading these testimonials.” -Lindsay

Photos from: here, here, and here

143 thoughts to “#460 The Childhood Super Jump”

    1. me too! except my parents didnt want to and i instead used to hang on my dads arm until he yielded

  6. One of my earliest memories involved me trying to do this without my parents help while propping myself up between two chairs…

    …I promptly split my lip wide open on the table in front of me and our baby-sitter practically had a heart attack. Boy, was there blood.

    1. I did exactly the same thing, got five stitches on my lip and still have a scar today!

      1. My daughter did this between the sofa and the coffee table and broke her collarbone ;(…Not so awesome!

  7. I don’t remember my parents doing this (although hopefully they did), but I love doing this with other children, sisters, brother and my own children…the look of joy and the unstoppable giggling…AWESOME!!

      1. or you could just skip the e-mail message. No one is forcing you to read them =) which is awsome in and of itself!

  9. I love that third picture! Childhood Super Jump: Family Edition.

    I also love the practicality of a Childhood Super Jump. Not only was it a blast, it was also great for traversing small sets of stairs and short distances at a pretty solid pace.

  10. I don’t agree with Lindsay actually. I actually skim through the “main part” to get to the testimonials :)

  13. I agree with Lindsey; it would be nice if there was a separate link to the side of the website where people can click to read the testimonials.

      1. I agree with Lindsay and second the testimonials page idea, even though it was really funny to include her message on the post. xD

        Also, adorable kitty is adorable!

        1. I think its funny how some people say they don’t like the emails and don’t want to read them, but they read them anyway even though no one is forcing them to-or complaining about the 15 seconds it takes to read through them and learning of other people’s awesomeness.

  14. Aw Lindsay, its not like you are being forced to read the email part. Its there if you want to read it or not, just like the comments. I find a lot of the emails inspiring or funny, so why wouldn’t you want to read them anyway? Its just another way for other people to share their awesome.

    The big jump….ah yes. I can’t recall any memories of doing the big jump myself (kinda hard to do with only one parent….they got divorced when I was itty bitty), but I have helped many kids do it. They love it! I do remember being put upside down and allowed to walk on the ceiling.

    2. I agree, there are some testimonials that I find very inspiring, such as the one about the mother who had to move away from her young son in order to be able to support him, yet is still able to find awesome things in her life.

  15. Some entries make you laugh, some entries make you smile, some entries just make you relax a bit into your chair. This one did a bit of all of them. It’s one of the quickest way to a child’s heart and a good ice breaker for new kids.

    I love the e-mails, it’s like a double dose of awesome for the day. I hope you don’t get rid of them. I certainly don’t mind the extra 20 seconds it takes me to read them.

    1. I agree with Sandy about the e-mails, I love the double dose of awesome! Just skip them if you don’t like them!

  16. please dont listen to Lindsay! The stories are great … they make me feel like part of this global awesomeness …. from the grade 8s incalifornia to the little girl in china to the sexy swede music guy … to the pistachio guy

  18. So glad you included this! My partner and I have been playing “1,2,3… Weeee!!” with our daughter since she was 1 year old. She’s 6 now and still asks to be swung on occasion. Cheers!

  19. I agree with Lindsay. I liked the simplicity of the other way, and I’m so glad you’ve been finding success (I definitely bought the book ASAP and it is great!) but sometimes keeping it simple is, well, awesome.

    1. Very well put. I agree 100%. It’s not so much the extra time it takes, but the fact that it takes away some of the humility of the site.

      1. I agree 100% as well. The testimonials would be fine in a section of their own but they do seem very obnoxious. It was much better when you kept the Awesomeness simple.

        People know the site is great, You know your site is awesome and has touched many awesome lives, the emails may make you feel fluffy for being such an awesome person…. but it gets old. I think its better to have your own sense of satisfaction, than shoving a testimonial in everybody’s face every day– very tacky.

        Still, I think this site is AWESOME, although slightly less so for now.

        1. Actually you know what would be very Awesome???

          If you could as a daily testimonial on the side bar. I think that would be pretty cool and satisfy the best of both worlds.

          1. I agree with Ana. The sidebar idea sounds like it would serve both the e-mails/book and the site much better than the current setup.

            Although, Ana put it a bit bluntly, I can definitely sympathize.

  20. The endorsements are hilarious. Most of them seem made up, but still very entertaining. I love reading this blog every day. It cheers me up.

  21. ha ha ha ha ha, posting Lindsay’s email! I almost spit out my breakfast! That is CLASSIC. hee hee hee hee hee…whew!

    My 2 cents: keep bringing the email stories. They rock. I love seeing how the book has touched people’s lives.

    1. I agree. Adding her email was so cheeky of you! And the testimonials are great, add even more cheeriness (is that a word?) to each post.

      1. I totally agree with Lyndsay, but couldn’t disagree more with Lindsay! (How’s that for confusing.. I’m hoping to mess up the 0.001% of you who are actually reading this via a text-to-speech program!)

        I love the e-mail stories.. some of them are so heartfelt, some are funny, some are totally random, but each and every one of them make me feel like we’re all connected over something unique and uplifting. Keep it up!

  22. Lindsay is right, the testimonials are ruining what used to be one of my favourite sites on the internet.

    1. There’s no need to be dramatic. I really don’t get what’s wrong with the testimonials. If you don’t wanna read them, then don’t. I understand that some people may find them tedious our unnecessary, but I really don’t see why it would ruin anything… if you like them read them if you don’t ignore them. They don’t really mean anything. They don’t make the site more or less humble or more or less noble. Stop making such a big fuss over things that don’t matter. THAT can ruin the blog.

  23. My 4 year old daughter is a big fan of the Super Jump. Sometimes when we are simply walking along hold her hands, she’ll initiate a super jump without telling anyone. Her mother and I both stumble a little and then launch a delayed super jump. Awesome.

    Also, I love the email testimonials. I like reading them almost as much as the main content.

  25. Our four year old is a huge fan of the super jump too. I love when she spontaneously starts the countdown 1… 2… 3… huge step… SUPER SWING. Awesome!

  26. Being on the kid end is awesome. Being on the adult end you feel like your arms are going to be ripped out of their sockets as the child yells “Again, again!”.

  27. I also have to agree with Lindsay. The odd testimonial was okay, but they clutter the site now, especially because a testimonial doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the awesome thing of the day. Sometimes they can be inspirational, but something inspirational about somebody overcoming adversity can also be a huge downer and suck out the awesomeness. It’s there in the open so if you’re even a little obsessive-compulsive, you really do *have* to read it.

    On top of that, every day they basically become more and more like ads for the book rather than the chicken soup I’m sure they were meant to be. The book is out there and we are buying it (I know I have); you don’t need to tack on somebody’s story to keep selling. Using your blog to advertise: not awesome.

    1. “but something inspirational about somebody overcoming adversity can also be a huge downer”…

      Uhh… Is that what you meant to write?

      Man, is there nothing I hate more than people showing strength and courage in the face of a difficult situation. And how dare they want to share those moments with others as a little reminder that, yes, this too shall pass, and you will emerge stronger on the other side. All these inspirational stories really get my goat!

      /leaves to go get my goat back.

      2. I completely understand what you mean, trini. Same reason why I’d rather not watch Idol Gives Back. it’s three hours of reminders of the awful conditions in Africa on what’s supposed to be a fluffy, fun show.

        1. Uh… I think you’re missing the point of Idol Gives Back. It’s the show’s answer to its own fluffiness, and frankly I think more shows should be doing something like that.

          Plus, last year anyway, it was mostly giving back to people in America…

          1. I agree. What’s one episode out of a whole season going to hurt? It may not be “fluffy”, but it’s definitely reality. And while I don’t want to be constantly reminded of the negativity and issues of the world, it seems completely selfish to purposely live in ignorance. Phew. Ok, sorry.

        1. Hahahaha! Hilarious!

          “Oh shit, man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. That was uncalled for.”

          Favorite part.

    2. Wow…how can you be that down about this? Its not really an advertisment, its sharing stories from around the world of people and what is awesome to them, or how much they like the book, or how much the book and blog has helped them out in one way or the other.

      How is inspriational things a downer? Someone overcoming hardship sucks out the awesomeness? You must be a really sad person to not find at least a smile when you read about awesome things like someone overcoming cancer, or a family that loves each other.

    3. You could just go start your own blog if this one isn’t meeting your standards. Do you realize how this must make Neil feel? Awful, not Awesome. Let’s get to the point here. It is Neil’s blog to do with as he pleases, we are all guests here. You don’t like, don’t read. If OCD is someone’s issue, I am sorry for that but putting downers on Neil for bringing your spirits up? Not Awesome.

  29. Anyone else do a double-take on the second picture because they thought it was Bob Saget, but couldn’t quite place his name so you had to replay the Full House credits in your mind until finally yelling “Bob Saget!”aloud?

    Yeah, me neither.

    1. Ahaha, reading your comment made me go back and check and yes! It does look like Bob Saget!

      And about the emails: who says you have to read them? I like them, it’s like more awesomeness after reading about whatever Neil picked for the day. Plus, it was even better the day I came home from a vacation, had 8 awesome posts to read, and then saw my own email at the end of a story. Now that was truly AWESOME!

  30. What I love even more than the normal super jump is when I look up and my two oldest girls are holding the hand of my youngest son and helping him super jump. It makes me so happy that love him so much and not only hold his hands in the parking lots and grocery stores, but they like to play with him too.

    I love the emails. Some have made me laugh, some have made me cry and many have just given me an “aaawwww” moment.

  35. my favorite super jump growing up was at the ocean, being super jumped by my dad & big brother into crashing waves. so awesome.

    and testimonials = fabulous. I love that people want to share the awesome in their world with the rest of us. on the days that i don’t feel like investing in other people’s stories, i just scroll past them :)

    1. “It looks like the child was able to avoid some acquatic predators through the use of a parentally assisted super-jump…

      You could say this is one case where it was a good thing to…

      *puts on sunglasses*

      …jump the shark.”

      YEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

  36. LOL. Great way to handle that.
    Unlike Lindsay, I started skimming the awesome entry and reading the emails instead.

  37. I’m not claiming that this is what’s going on in the middle picture, but it just occured to me that MASSIVELY high super-jumps would be one of the major benefits of having two dads. I mean, compare the height that the kid in the second picture is achieving in relation to the kid in the first picture. It’s got to be about 3x higher!

    So, remember kids – if you have to read the book, “One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads?” to understand your non-traditional family situation, just remember – you get to have higher super jumps than any other kid in town!!

    NTTAWWT! :)

    1. TOO TRUE! My dad is 6’4″ and my mom is only 5’8″. Think if I’d had two dads over six feet tall. The Super Jump possibilities would have been endless.

    3. LOL! I was thinking about that, (NTTAWWT) and also the comment above where someone said the one guy reminded her of Bob Sagat.

      If that’s Bob Sagat, then Dave Coulier has let himself go a bit…

  38. I never had a super jump because my parents were/are worriers. In my family you’re bounced around on your dad’s knee dramatically. It was more fun than it sounds!

    And I like the emails! It’s not like they’re ads from other web sites or newspaper articles promoting it.

  39. @Lindsay:

    A buddy of mine works in theoretical physics at NASA and let me in on an amazing technology that will ease your anguish.

    It’s called the “Page Dn” button.

    Be well.

  41. I LOVE this…my 6 year old nephew still insists on trying to do this every time he gets two hands. The last time was in NYC a week and a half ago in the middle of a million people in Times Square. Poor kid couldn’t get his super jump on.

  42. Yes the testimonials were fun to read at first. And yes, they are easy to by-pass if you don’t feel like reading them. However, some days the testimonials are longer than the awesome entry, and on those days I get annoyed. I feel gypped of my daily dose of awesomeness. It’s gotten to the point that I have a mini-debate with myself before I look at the site: “do I or do I not want to deal with the emails”. It’s starting to become more of a chore than a joy to visit the site, and that definitely is NOT AWESOME!

  43. Some more white space after the post, and a well-designed header before the email might make a big difference.

    For me, the problem is that the emails appear right after the post, with no gap. It gives the illusion that they are part of the post. I rarely read them, but their placement means that I inadvertantly take in a sentence or two. This significantly detracts from the clean experience of reading a single well-written post, and lessens the impact of what is typically a strong ending. It also affects the elegance of the layout.

    On a less complainy note:

    My dad and I once gave my son a huge mega-jump and inadvertantly sent him for a 360. All three of us had a brief moment of what-happened!?! followed by a huge moment of Awesome!!!

  44. I’ve really been enjoying the e-mails after the posts. It makes me feel even more awesome to read others’ feelings about the awesomeness. :-)
    But I also know that if I don’t feel like reading them, I don’t have to. I don’t feel like they’re in the way at all. I vote to keep ’em coming.

  45. First, I would like to say woo-hoo to the childhood super jump. I can’t believe it’s not an Olympic sport.

    Secondly, I think the email addition is truly what keeps this thing going. We’re all getting a glimpse into what keeps the blog great…it’s Neil sharing his inspiration and I think that’s pretty cool. It’s hilarious to post this email up and it really stirred the ol’debate pot…so if anyone is keeping track, my vote is “Yes” keep it going.

  46. Nooo!!! Keep the testimonials at the end please! They are like the cherry on top of the sundae!

  47. What I think Neil does with the personal email testimonials is to remind us ALL that we have something to be thankful about. Something that truly is awesome if we can get past our own self sabotaging negativity.

    It must really stink to get an email like the one he sent in today’s Awesome post. Can you imagine how it would make you feel? Can you imagine saying that to someone’s face? Someone who brings happiness to your life daily?

    I went on a sailing trip from Panama to the Galapagos earlier in the year, and I was asked by many friends to write travelogues so they could live vicariously through my experiences. I sent it out to about 100 people, and they have been forwarding it on to their friends and family. I get many, many emails thanking me for my efforts. Amazingly, one person told me she thought I wrote too much, she said it with rather a sneer on her face…I told her not to read the text if all she wanted was the pretty pictures. Everyone else says they bring joy and happiness to their lives, that I “made their Spring season” by keeping those travelogues coming, that they savor them and read them when they are having a rough day. I realized that you just can’t please everyone, but pleasing almost everyone is pretty easy.

    Neil, thank you for everything you do, and keep up the Awesomeness. We’ll need to send good, positive vibes to this person who definitely needs them! Awesome!

    Happy Friday!

      1. Hee hee,

        I keep a blog, too, and one of my friends says it’s way too wordy.

        Too bad, so sad, her loss and I smile about it instead of being upset. But it is amazing eh?

        Cheers

  49. Sitting under stars at Newport beach listening to Phil Perry Brenda Russell Norman brown. And this one just puts me over the top

  50. Today my mom bought the book 1000 awsome things, and to be honest it was a blessing because we spent the whole day drving around in the hot sun in truck with no cold air doing doc appointsments and DMV visits the normal boring, annoying day everyone complains about and trys to avoid but as we waited at the doctors and the DMV and half a dozen places we went, we read out loud to each and luagh til we cryed. We had fun and thanks to The Book of Awsome which is truely Awsome our day was a lot more enjoyable and Awsome: ).

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