The year I decided to try out for cheerleading, I thought it would be all sparkly bows and enthusiastic claps. Boy, was I wrong. My first attempt at a toe touch looked more like a startled squirrel trying to escape a tree, and my "spirit fingers" were less spirited and more like I was waving goodbye to my dignity. I vividly remember mistaking a basic chant for a complex dance routine and ending up in a tangle of limbs and laughter. It was a whirlwind of glitter, nervous giggles, and trying to remember which way was up during a cartwheel.