This is an experiment that began not to terribly long ago, and is already growing with startling speed! You see, several of my online buddies noticed that when I was really feeling good, on top of my game, or completely victorious, I would do the same photo pose. They began calling it "the Wendy".
Well, when someone pays you a compliment like that, you have only two choices: blush furiously, deny the accusation and hide -or- embrace it with all you've got. I suppose my character sort of made it only one choice, and soon, I was doin' "the Wendy" wherever I went!
Hutch's Pool
Mt. San Jacinto
Manning Camp
Then, a friend shared an inspirational video with me. Seems this guy, Matt, started filming himself doing this silly dance of his all over the world. You can get the whole story at his website, but what it boils down to is that his video became such an internet phenomenon that he started getting paid to travel and make more silly videos. Then, he started to get TONS of emails from people who wanted to dance with him. And so was born the video that I saw:
So suddenly, I thought, hey! I could do the very same thing with 'the Wendy'. Well, sorta the same thing, only without the movie and music part. Or the getting paid part. Life's about more than money, though, right?
Seriously, I already had people sending me photos of themselves doing the Wendy when they hiked and traveled:
Like Angela on the Arizona Trail:
Angela 5-2009
And Shannon with her big sister in Kohler-Andre State Park, Wisconsin:
I LOVE teamwork! They've definitely perfected the way to do it without striking
close friends in the face! - 7-2009
Mike on the Maxwell Trail - 6-2009
How hard could it be, I figured, to find people to do the Wendy WITH me? The pose just screams fun and celebration - and I see so many places that are full of fun-having, celebration ready folks! Determined to make my mark upon the silly internet gimick universe, I decided to go for it. Get EVERYONE to throw a Wendy!
My first attempt was at Antelope Canyon in northern Arizona. This was highly successful due to the fact that it is a) a popular tourist attraction and b) sort of a captive audience. I think half of the folks in this shot didn't even speak enough English to know what was going on- but they had a great time anyway! (Maybe they think 'doing the Wendy' is some sort of new yoga move!)
Antelope Canyon - June 2009
Then I went rappelling at the Practice Wall up on Mt. Lemmon. SO cool! Surviving that was enough to make everyone feel victorious. I particularly like the extra bit of spark the girl on the right gave her pose! There's a girl who's just waiting to find her own signature move...
Mt. Lemmon Practice Wall - Aug. 2009
And I kept getting more entries from those brave enough to try it on their own, some with spectacular results!
Some are more direct in their imitation:
Me at Havasu Falls in the Grand Canyon, Sept. 2009
And Joe Bartels in Salt Creek, also Grand Canyon Sept. 2009. Gotta give the guy credit - he practicaly invented the term "throw a Wendy"...
(at www.hikearizona.com - my favorite online community!)
Then it came to me:
Havasu Falls - Sept. 2009
The whole world needs to see these! And, they need to know about the amazing places that people are celebrating life. This sounds like:
a reason to blog.
Have you thrown a Wendy yet?
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