About 12 years ago, I was in middle school. I was a very stressed out and insecure child. I had to be alone to fully let my guard down. My mind was constantly flooded with worries and fears.
My family had a river cabin in the Missouri Ozark’s that we went to almost every weekend. I have amazing memories of walking off on my own to a hill that overlooked Mark Twain Forest. It was just me, birds chirping, and the whizz of a ball bearing.
The image of endless rolling hills covered in trees as a backdrop to my General-yo Hatrick skinning the gerbil is forever etched in my mind.
Yoyoing was (and is) a medium for self expression, and a hobby that truly allows myself to let go of my mind and allow stillness to flow in. Any time I’ve been in a state where things felt like they were falling apart, yoyoing was always there to offer a release, and peace through the turmoils of being a middleschool aged kid. As an adult, yoyoing still has the same effect on me as it did when I was a kid. Tranquility, creativity, stillness, and that sweet sound of a center track bearing with a drop of V4M in it.
I’m massively grateful for the impact yoyoing has had on me. There’s some battles in life I don’t know how I would’ve been able to get through without it.
I’d like to hear a moment that you’re truly grateful for that involved yoyos, or a way that yoyoing has increased your quality of life.
TLDR - yoyos have brought me a lot of peace in troubling times. What about you?
Thank you! Those memories were very impactful. Now I live in the woods, and get to step into my own back yard and have a very similar experience all over again
I think every time I throw it’s a pretty amazing experience. To be able to just turn my brain off and vibe with something, focus and learn new tricks, collect & connect with others.
I’m grateful to have found this hobby - I feel like it’s my sanity as weird as that sounds
Too many to count, yoyo is my stress release. I guess the big one for me is it helped me quit smoking. Kept my hands and mind busy at times when I wanted to take a drag
The memory of unboxing my very first metal yoyo, the Dv888 is another one that I cherish.
My allowance was all saved up, and I was so excited to get a fresh aqua. I beat the hell out of thing, it’s in pieces around here somewhere.
Thanks for thinking of the kids buying yoyos with allowance money. It sure made my year getting that thing.
Being close to the Chicago yoyo club, many people are only able to meet with yoyo friends at contests once a year. Also, having the opportunity to compete twice in one year because the IL yoyo contest was postponed the year before I competed. In addition, discovering this forum early in my yoyoing journey and being able to utilize all the wisdom of the people here;)
Chico Yoyo Club has enriched my life.
And…
US National Yoyo Contest the year they spun the GIANT Tom Kuhn No Jive Yoyo utilizing a crane on the city streets of Chico.
Very nice memories getting to know some of the yoyo kids before they became champions, to many to list.
Chico Yoyo Club nurtures champs.
For me, it would have to be being part of the boom in the 90s and fueling the boom at my elementary school before knowing that such a boom even existed. That boom died fast though once Pokémon and Star Wars prequel took center stage… And for many of us in that time period, high school.
About 10 years ago I used to be really over weight, I was over 350 at my biggest. I remembered how much I loved my yoyo back in middle school and decided to really put myself all in and learn all the yoyo tricks. Well after losing about 30 pounds just from having fun with my yoyo everyday I got so stoked having fun and getting in shape. Shortly after that I took control of my eating habits and became an astoundingly healthy person. I lost a total of 150 pounds and gained a passion for something that will forever be in my life.
