Saturday, June 7, 2003

on the john 2.6: Flailing...

As I look around the crowd of faces before me, I notice some bearing expressions of excitement, some boredom, and some that "pretend to be excited but really really nervous" face. I wonder which expression I am giving off, I realize I'm not even pretending to be excited, I'm scared. I glance over at my wife, I haven't seen her with that expression since the last time she had to give blood, she hates needles. She looks up at me and forces a plastic smile, then looks away again not wanting to leave the happy place she found to keep her mind off the immanent danger that lay ahead. All of the sudden the wind gets fierce, people start yelling. There is a voice yelling into my ear. "GO, GO, GO!!!" The room clears out really fast, and then the voice screams "SLIDE FORWARD, SLIDE FORWARD." I find myself in the fetal position with my hands across my chest my eyes closed, and this tiny feeling of excitement trying to bubble up through the fear that was consuming me. I can feel that there is nothing supporting the front half of my feet, all of my weight is resting on my heels. A powerful wind is slapping me in the face. The voice yells again "ARE YOUR EYES OPEN?" My reply is lost in t he wind, but I open my eyes. The scene before me is actually quite serene considering the circumstances. Then the voice yells again "HEAD BACK, OUT, IN, OUT, ARCH!!!" I follow his instructions, and for a brief second I black out. My adrenaline takes over for a moment and erases that second of my memory. When it comes back, I'm screaming. Moving at a really fast 120 miles an hour. The goggles I'm wearing are smashing up against my face. I stop screaming realizing 'what's the point?' I stop being scared. The excitement takes over I yell "WOO HOOO!" I can't hear it though, moving into the wind. That minute, which seemed like an eternity, was so thrilling, that I now know what the word 'thrill' really means. Then as fast as it began it ended. I was suddenly lurched back, my body flailing around. Then this floating sensation. I look around at where I am, it was perhaps the most incredible view I have ever had the pleasure of partaking. No buildings or trees blocking the scene. The only limit I had was 'as far as the eye could see.' Then the voice yells (I had forgotten about the voice) "LOOK THERE'S YOUR WIFE." An arm appears from behind me, and points. I of course follow the direction of the pointing gesture. I see a body far off. Upon closer inspection I see that it is my wife... her body flailing around like a rag doll much like I had earlier. "SHE MADE IT!" I yelled cheering. Then I realized I need to take this all in, I needed to absorb as much as I could because things like this don't happen every day. As our destination drew closer and closer, I tried to just take it all in, then, all to soon, the voice says "Lift your legs... now flair!" I pull down putting my hands behind my buttocks, and we slowly slide to a very comfortable halt. All I can say is "Can I go again? Huh? Huh?”

This, if you haven't noticed is the experience that I had whilst skydiving a week ago. We went for Lara’s Birthday. I would highly recommend it. I'll be going again shortly... you can come, you should come.

JOHN

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"What if the Hokey Pokey really IS what it's all about?"

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