Well, they installed the new cranks, and they are a success! I feel so awsome, yet so terrible, because of my awful skills. I am practicing more at 1ft WW, and I still haven’t perfected it yet. I’m worried that I’ll be treated like a newbie at the uni meet this saturday because I suck so bad at unicycling. Am I as bad as I think I am or is it just me? 
Of course Evan is always kind enough to tell me that I am lame and I learn slow and I only know the easiest skills and stuff. He says everyone here just says I’m good to make me feel better. What do you think?
It all really depends how long you’ve been riding.
About 2 years. Jeeze, I’ll bet everyone there will be better than me. Of course, evan has already assured me of this. Do you think I will be considered a newbie?
I know you’re probably looking for more encouragement…but if everyone is better than you, then learn from them and try harder…If you’re the better one help the others out…One thing I’ve learnt about unicyclists is that most are always willing to help others by showing them skills and giving a few pointers etc…There’s no way anyone will consider you a newbie as long as you can ride and most people here know you can…
I don’t know about that but even if thats at all true…practise and people will respect you for what you can do…
Probably not. People are always super nice at unicycle conventions. No matter how good someone is. Evan is probably just jealous that you are better than he is.
This is more of a uni meet than a convention. The Panther Pride cub is hosting the meet. The club is a school unicycling program at an elementary school. The vast majority of the riders there will be elementary age kids from North Bend Elementary. There will be riders there of all skill levels but most of the kids are at the lower end of the skill levels. There is nothing to be worried about and the uni meet is not a competition. It’s about having fun and learning more about riding from other unicyclists.
I thought it was about eating gumbo…
So other than elementry school kids who just learned uniing in school, how do I rank in the way of other unicycling eleven year olds? What about your kids, Bruce and Steve? Sorry if it sounds like I’m totally concerned about ego, but I’m kind of curious after everthing that Evan said.
You’ll know tomorrow!
Besides, unicycling isn’t all about ranking among other riders. If it were I’d have quit out of frustration when Andrea passed level 5 and I may be stuck at 4 forever. Its having fun and always improving.
I think I just need some real-life unicyclists to give me some tips like at the unicycle meet. So Andrea is level 5? Maybe she can give me some tips?! Maybe, I’m non-official level 5, too, though, so maybe we’re like equal, I dunno.
I’ve been wondering this all along, WHAT IS GUMBO?!?!?!? 
Gumbo, like insecurity and paranoia, is a word that is easily looked up in the dictionary.
Re: New cranks - a success!
I really think you need to change your attitude. Over the last couple of years I think I’ve changed mine and now I almost feel how I want to feel about unicycling. I was never quite as concerned as you seem to be about people being better than me and me being better than them, but I definitely think I have become less competitive which I think is fantastic. The whole reason deep down for most of us unicycling and coming here to talk about unicycling is because it’s really fun. Often though, we forget about this or the thought gets pushed aside when we see somebody doing something that’s more skilled than what we can do, or when we learn that we can do something that some others can’t. That horrible competitive side of most people can take over, and if you’re not careful you’ll end up unicycling just to be better than others, and posting here just to let them know that you’re better than them. You might not feel this way now, being concerned about not getting good enough fast enough, but the root of that concern is the same root of that boastful attitude…I think so anyway.
Don’t compare yourself to others in terms of skill, but rather in terms of how much you enjoy unicycling.
I know what I just said is a bit sort of over the top for what you’re worried about but it’s something that I have been thinking about for a while now and I wanted to say it (not specifically to you). I’m still competitive and I do compare my skill with other riders, but I really wish I didn’t…and I’m working on it. I guess admiting it is a good place to start. 
Andrew
U seem to be learning at a normal pace to me. I learned slow as hell it was about 2 yr till i leanred to walk the wheel. I really wouldnt be concerned about what Evan says, he was a more rapid learner (I think he exadurates his skills sometimes). As for the convention meet, whatever, I never heard of this one, but im sure you have nothing to worry about most the riders at meetings go just to meet others and learn. If i was goin to a meet Id rather find some awsome riders than be the best one, they would be able to help u in any tricks. DOnt worry…be happy:D
Wait, where is this meet???
Pacific Northwest Unicycle Meet April 9, 2005
It’s in North Bend Washington which is about 30 minutes east of Seattle. If you left really early in the morning you could make it. It’d be about a 5 hour drive from Eugene/Springfield.
Harsh Harper. 
I feel the guilt…oops, it’s gone now.
lolerz