I have often talked about the value of challenge and doing “the thing you think you cannot do.” I truly believe that to learn how strong we are, to discover how much we can accomplish, we would be wise to attempt the things we fear. Whether the challenge comes from inside ourselves or are posed by another, by meeting the challenges we take on willingly, by controlling our fear, we grow in strength and commitment.
When I talk about this to clients, groups and friends, I explain that I have tried many adventure sports and I really still fear 2 things – snakes and jumping out of a perfectly good airplane.
So, Sunday, I stepped aboard a perfectly good airplane, accompanied by two “tandem jump pilots” and my son, Jamie. Each jump pilot had a well packed parachute, a tandem harness and my son and I had cameras and a harness on me.
As we waited for our turn at a very busy drop zone, clouds had rolled in and the air had freshened. It was clear that a storm was on the way. What amazed me is that as I sat there, I became less anxious about jumping than I was about NOT jumping. You see, this was the last chance for a while that I would have to do this first jump with my son. I had become eager to face this challenge.
Finally, it was our turn. We had been hustled into our jumpsuits, and our “pilots” barely hestitated a step as they checked our harnesses and hurried us into the planes. We knew by their actions that there was only a short window to get our jump in, but their movements were sure and confident. Sandy, the plane pilot, launched us quickly skyward.
As we sat in the back of the plane, I filmed the takeoff out of the windows. Rick, my jump pilot, joked with Jamie and me, and Tom, Jamie’s pilot, showed how relaxed he was by taking a nap. I watched the altimeter on Rick’s wrist as it crept slowly towards 6,000 feet. Long before the preferred 10,000 feet, Sandy told Rick and Tom that she was turning to line up, that we went now or not at all.
Jamie and Tom were closest to the door and got ready first. A few short seconds later, they were gone and it was my turn. I watched almost outside of myself as I reached for the step. My foot was out of the plane. I waited for the “GO” from Rick and we pushed off simultaneously from the door. I was falling and trying to get into the right position. Arched out, we fell for a few brief seconds, feeling the mist of rain on our faces.
I remembered to look around and hold the camera where it could record the experience. Then Rick pulled the cord and the canopy opened over us and freefall was over. Rick was slightly apologetic as he told me we were going to spiral down quickly and immediately, I could watch the world spin below me as he spilled air and we descended quickly.
I was able to catch glimpses of Jamie above me, as we descended faster than him and Tom. Soon we were hanging over the runway of the airport, and I could hear the urgency in Rick’s voice as he tried to keep us from being blown into the treeline on the far side of the runway. The updraft kept us from descending quickly and I understood we needed to make it down before being blown into the trees.
Finally, we were just off the ground. I lifted my feet, and tried to straighten up, but fell as we landed. Rick, bound to me by the harness, fell, too. A moment later, he had released us and we were up, me, in total glee, him, wanting to gather up the parachute and get inside quickly.
As we rode in the back of the truck the short distance to the hanger, Rick and Tom discussed the jump and both agreed it was one they’d rather NOT have made. I was glad we’d jumped, relieved that we made it ok, and delighted that our pilots were as skilled as they were.
The only sad note for the afternoon is that my guy, Jesse, had decided, on the spur of the moment, to jump himself. He was in a harness and jumpsuit when we reached the hanger. Due to the weather, he didn’t get to make his jump.
Oh, well, I guess I’ll just have to jump again some week soon when I go back to Louisiana.
Hey, look at that…. fear has turned to joy, inaction to achievement! Hmmm….
