I am a Bull Whip Enthusiast....just like Indiana Jones!

 When the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark" came out I was a freshman at CSUF.  At that point, movies were still magical and really let me dream about endless possibilities.  One dream was the ability to master a bull whip.  Indiana Jones used his bull whip to subdue a crowd, to escape death and to capture his lady love. Here was a man that had no fear.  He jumped off a ship and hung onto a periscope of a submarine for "I don't know how far?" He battled Nazi's and withstood the "Wrath of God!" I wanted to be him.  I can remember telling my parents how "cool" it would be to crack a whip.  At that point the only thing I was cracking was zoology and chemistry books.
   Some months later my parents came back from a Mexican Rivera cruise.  My dad had bought a twelve foot bull whip from some leather shop in Mazatlan.  As a boy, his hero was Clyde Beatty the lion tamer.  My father had fantasized not to be a dentist, but to someday be that brave man with the power to subdue the "King of the Jungle."  He had taught himself how to crack a whip and had even somehow taught his little dog "Taffy" to jump through a hoop.  So with some experience with a whip, my dad gave me a demonstration.  It was not pretty, but he made it crack!  I watched him do it again, at which point he handed it to me and said, "try not to kill yourself."  I was so excited I didn't really understand what he meant.  
    After a couple of tries, I was stinging.  I had hit myself with the whip and it was not pleasant.  Somehow, I wasn't discouraged. I kept trying and finally it happened.  The Crack!!! It was empowering!!  I couldn't believe I could make such a load scary sound.  I did it again and again.  It was awesome. Most of my friends would not even try it.  That made me feel great.  I felt that I had conquered "Everest."  A feat few would even attempt.  That was in 1982.
 Fast forward to 2015. I am now able to snap a cigarette out of someone's mouth (although I have few takers.)  I am now on day 5 of my trip to Chicago with my son Bobby.  My cousins in Eureka, Missouri are enthusiastic and willing to try just about anything.  Every single cousin (male and female) tried the whip. Is this a state thing? In California, I can hardly get anyone to try it.  The Missouri residents don't want to miss out on being the one who can make it crack.  The girls are the ones who really give it the most effort.  Don't ever judge a book by its cover! Without question my female cousin, a few years younger than me was able to put some extra effort into the process.  As you can see below she was able to make it happen.  She felt empowered!  This new found talent made her feel a little stronger, bolder, maybe a bit like "Indiana Jones"?

   

               Here am I showing everyone how to use the whip.  As much as I enjoy cracking the whip, having a student accomplish this made me feel even better!  I left behind my whip. I thought that  this new student may teach another (don't worry, I have another!)