Competitive bowing

I never thought it would happen. Actually, I never thought I would even bow, but still... (For those of you reading who don't come to the zen center, when I say 'bow' I'm referring to that really supplicant bow: that one where you're on your knees on the floor and even your forehead is on the floor in front of you. I think it's referred to as a 'full prostration.').
I had heard people talking about their bows, discussing who could kneel and pop back up without using their hands, who was more stiff and rigid, who was more loose, etc. I thought it was ridiculous. I mean first of all- dude, you're bowing! It's 2011 in San Francisco the most individualistic, free thinking, 'screw the man' place in the world and you're bowing?
Secondly, at the time, I thought the whole point of bowing was showing humility, deferring to a 'higher being,' saying basically, 'you are great and I am just a little person, bowing in deference.' Being competitive about this, being a 'better bower' seemed totally counter intuitive to the act itself.
But a couple of weeks ago, at a Wednesday night Dharma talk, I found myself bowing and thinking, "Well hey, look at that! I can go from upright to totally flat without using my hands. And check me out, I can get right back up to standing from that same position. I don't even have to take a step or steady myself. I am, literally, 'rocking' my bow: no hands, no stepping, just one smooth motion down and one smooth motion back up again."
I watched the people around me who were using their hands or taking a step back to get up again and yes, I admit it, of the ones who looked physically able to do it without using their hands, I actually thought: "Wimps." Gasp!
But, I also thought, "Hey, shut up, they're bowing. They're doing what they need to do to show their respect. It's not about how well you do it or what you need to do it, it's about doing it."
But I still felt pretty cool that I could do it in one smooth motion without using my hands.
And then, a week later, I was at afternoon service in the zendo. I was doing my smooth 'rocking' bow, feeling all good, until I rocked it a little too hard. As I was leaning back on my feet to get up again, I rocked back too far and started to fall on my butt. Fortunately, I had my hands there to catch me and I pushed myself back up to standing.
I was pretty embarrassed, not at my bow, but at my foolishness. I was so caught up in 'getting it right' that I had totally missed the point. I still don't actually know the point of bowing, but I know it's not about being 'better' at it than others and it certainly isn't about getting so caught up in it that you're judging the people around you.