New York Years - Hula-hoops

  

In the spring of my fourth grade year, hula-hoops were everywhere. At first, my father didn't want me to have one because of the indecent hip gyrations to keep it moving, but after awhile, he let me get one. I had a medium-sized dark pink one. I was so happy.
I felt like I could finally fit into the group.

Recess looked like a Spirograph picture. Everyone had one! My brother, Phillip, won a contest in his kindergarten class, for keeping a hula-hoop going the longest.
(He was better at it than I was!)

One teacher decided to organize a performance with the hula-hoops. We practiced holding them in different formations and synchronizations to the tune of "Love is Blue". Different students showed their skills of spinning two at a time or on one foot or around the neck. I was able to be in the group that could spin it around my arm, switching to other arm midway and "jump roping" with the hula-hoop.

To this day, whenever I hear a SHWOOP-SHWOOP or the "Love is Blue" tune, I think of that gym full of spinning kaleidoscope of hula-hoops.