Parkour

I'm talking on the phone with my mom, and she brings up the new James Bond movie, Casino Royale.

"I liked the opening chase scene," I say, "but thought parts of the movie drew on a bit."

She agrees, and much more vehemently than I would have imagined, but only seems to have heard part of what I said. "It was awesome!"

"Awesome even, Mom?"

"Awesome, Mark," she repeats. "That black fellow was incredible. I was hoping he would get away."

"Yeah, he was good," I agree. "That was that 'urban running' stuff, eh?"

"Parkour, Mark." My mom corrects me. "It's a modern physical art, started in France about twenty years ago."

"Oh." I say. "You seem to know a fair bit about it."

"I started up a Parkour troupe here in Dufferin," she says. "It's just Angie and I right now, but a lot of kids have been watching us. It's about to take off."

Of course I expected my mom to start new hobbies when she retired, but I never would have expected something like this. I'm glad that she's staying active, but I am a little bit worried that she could get hurt. Break a hip or something. It seems to be quite intense exercise.

After talking to my mom. I talk to my dad, and he explains how she and Mrs. Penrose take off down to the flats every morning jumping up driveways and down off retaining walls and mailboxes and such on the way.

I ask him to take a video of it for me. He tells me Mom has already posted several to YouTube.

(Photo by Mary Taylor from Pexels)