Social Question

jca's avatar

Have you ever tried balancing brooms and chairs on your finger tips or palms?

Asked by jca (36062points) February 10th, 2016

The recent question about slack lining got me wondering about balancing. When I was a young teen, my friend across the street taught me to balance a broom on my finger tip and then transfer it to my palm. When I got older and stronger, I learned to balance a chair.

Try it. It’s easy and fun. It helps if the broom is symmetrical.

You can try it with a chair, too, when you get good. For the choice of chair, you just have to be able to lift the chair with one arm. A leggy chair is helpful, like a plastic lawn chair, or wood or aluminum. Something not too heavy.

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12 Answers

zenvelo's avatar

I’ve tried with a broom a few times. Could keep it upright for thirty seconds or so. Then I got told to quit goofing around.

Cruiser's avatar

When I was much younger I would walk around with my brother balanced on top my head. My mom could never figure out why he was so bruised up.

dxs's avatar

I used to do that with pool sticks all the time. I’d balance it on one finger and then transfer it to another finger, going all the way down to my pinkie. I was oddly prodigious at it—all of my other friends couldn’t even keep the stick balanced for more than 20 seconds.

LuckyGuy's avatar

I can balance a broom, yard stick, umbrella, indefinitely. I can do it while walking. I once walked about half a mile to a bus stop while balancing a closed umbrella.

Zaku's avatar

I can do a balanced broom but I think most chairs would take practice, for me.

LuckyGuy's avatar

I just tried a kitchen chair and had to stop after about 20–30 seconds. It got too heavy.

jca's avatar

@LuckyGuy: Try an aluminum chair or a plastic lawn chair, if you have one.

LuckyGuy's avatar

They are out in the barn and it’s 11F with 30 mph winds and a foot of snow. I am not out there . :-)
Except to snow blow. Ugh!

Pachy's avatar

I can’t even balance my
#!?*%#<?! budget!

MollyMcGuire's avatar

Yes, I’m pretty good with brooms. I haven’t tried chairs.

dxs's avatar

Oh God. If anyone wants a good high school laugh, pretend the original question was “Which household items have you had sex with?” and re-read the responses.

Kardamom's avatar

When I was a kid, I used to do it with brooms, but I’ve never tried it with a chair. I’d probably smack myself in the head with a chair.

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