The Spider's Web

When it is a warm sunny day, I think back to my time at Primary School. Fond memories of May Day come into my mind. I remember wearing my hair in plaits and dancing around the Maypole. I remember the beautifully bright coloured ribbons, and the spectacular patterns we weaved with them. I have a little giggle to myself, when I remember that my school Celebrated May Day in June! I think this was when the SATS had finished.

One of the Maypole dances that I still remember very clearly is ‘The Spider’s Web’. This involved everyone in my class holding a ribbon. The boys’ were in the inner ring of the Maypole, and the girls walked around them in the outer ring. The girls weaved the pattern, by walking left and right around each boy.

I can remember being ever so excited when I found out my class was learning this dance. However, this feeling quickly turned to anxiety. During our first practice session, I kept going the wrong way and getting my left and right muddled up. I can remember my teacher getting cross and mentioning that I was spoiling the pattern for everyone else. She praised everyone after the rehearsal for picking it up so quickly, then she glared at me!

I managed to pick up the dance and did much better in future rehearsals. I still didn’t know my left and right, but I worked out that I always needed to go past the shoulder, the boy held the ribbon against. I can remember concentrating really hard during this dance on May Day, and performing it well.

“I often feel like the odd one out. I feel that everyone else is a spider”

The dance was called ‘The Spider’s Web’ because the pattern we weaved looked like the web a spider would spin. I think a spider’s web is a great analogy to use when describing Dyspraxia.

For example, Spiders are born with the innate skill of web spinning. As a person with Dyspraxia, I have often felt like the odd one out. I feel that everyone else is a Spider.

For example, the skills that are second nature to them are the ones I have to work hard to learn. This doesn’t mean that I can’t do what they can do.

It just means I always have to go the long way round. This can be really frustrating, but it also makes me hardworking and empathic.

I have sometimes been described as too sensitive. I take this as a compliment because I think the world needs more empathic people in it.

I also think the world would be kinder, if it had more people with Dyspraxia in it.

Written by Tegan Bee