More than one of you mentioned Jumping Out Of An Airplane as a bucket list item.
I just can’t figure out why.
Ok. Maybe it’s My Current Fragility–the same Fragility that keeps me from signing up on Failin.gs right now–or it may be the fact that I already experience the “thrill” of slight hints of worry and anxiety on a weekly basis (mostly unfounded) so I’m not looking for actual legit reasons to panic. Either way, I can’t for-the-life-of-me figure out why someone would eagerly raise their hand if asked “ok, so, who in the room would like to go jump out of a plane?”
Not.
Me.
It’s the whole “you could really die” thing that’s getting in the way. My mom is probably thinking that this is in direct contradiction to my desire to turn a corner at 50-miles-an-hour. And, yes, I know rolling a car is a potential life-threatening activity. But, still, it’s not the same as free-falling. In the air. For an extended period of time. Especially when there’s that looming question of whether or not the parachute will open.
I don’t need that kind of excitement in my life.
Now, that doesn’t mean I don’t wanna watch the video of your jowls flapping as you scream your lungs out at 90-bazillion-gravitational-miles-per-hour. Oh yes I want to see it.
And I will applaud!
So, for all you thrill-seeking Bucket-Listers (ok. Maybe the Bourne in me fits that description) we need documentation of the event! I’m talking pictures, videos (including screaming-your-head-off audio) and the like!
Oh. And guess what? I got a call this week. I might be able to fulfill this bucket-list dream sooner rather than later! Stay tuned!
well…
i LOVE the idea of jumping out of plane. and the reason why is simply because it seems so impossible. so completely terrifying that i would want to overcome that particular fear.
i like the idea of doing all those kind of things that would usually be reserved for action movies or super heros
I’m so intrigued by people who’s desires & perspectives may not be shared by me. I enjoy it, actually! As for plane jumping, I’ll just have to enjoy this from the ground.
Look, if my chute doesn’t open on 15 March 2012 all I have to do is close my eyes — by the time I know what I hit I’ll be in Heaven already.
Man, what a way to go!
So, does this mean you have an appt to jump next year??
I’m with you on not doing anything where I could actually die, at least if the chance of it is pretty significant. But I like doing things where I COULD die, but probably won’t. I feel like I might die on a roller coaster but I know it’s safe, I jumped out of a plane but I knew I had a greater risk of dying in rush hour traffic, I go white water rafting where people die every year but as long as I pay attention, I should be safe. I’ve swam with sharks but the danger was low. I’m more scared about learning to FLY a plane b/c then my life will be in my own hands and I know MY faults!
I had a pretty unfortunate experience white-water rafting once, and well–you can guess it–I won’t be doing that again! But I thoroughly enjoyed your comment! And you’re already a plane-jumping hero in my eyes.
I won’t be jumping out of any planes any time soon, unless it’s an absolute emergency. But what’s holding me back isn’t the fear of falling or the chute not opening, it’s the memory of seeing someone not land properly and shatter his hip & leg when landing. It’s one of those childhood memories that never leaves you – the sights or the sound. So no, no jumping for me thanks. But I will enjoy seeing pictures and videos and applauding along with you.
Wow… Sounds. eek….. But it’s amazing that he lived, right??
nope. i won’t do it.
agreed. no desire to jump outta that silly old plane here. Race car driving? sign me up. In fact, if I don’t stop driving my craptastic van as if it were a race car, Ima be in some trouble soon.
I feel compelled to add that one of the most important things anybody ever said to me — and, well, this was coming from someone who’d had his own share of “Dark & Stormy Nights” — but he said, “You get to see everything they missed.”
I don’t just want to see it; I want to experience it. I want to celebrate it. I want to appreciate it. I want to do things they can’t — not in defiance of their memories or denial of my grief…
…But to celebrate my life.
You know, that’s quite a perspective. I’m gonna chew on this.
And theirs.
Mandy: No appt yet. Will probably make it in Jan of 2012. I’d love to do a solo jump on my birthday, but the training takes money — and that is something I am in short supply of right now (and for the foreseeable future). I did find a good place that has a kind of VIP package at about $400 or so, complete with video and champagne and going straight up after the tandem training session, and I think that’s the one I want. I kind of wish I could have someone give this to me as a present, but I don’t think I know very many people who are going to like the idea of my jumping out of an airplane — and besides, I kind of think that would be selfish of me to do anyway, even if it is a birthday present and I’m going to be starting a new decade and all that stuff.
When I say that I want to celebrate and experience, I certainly don’t mean that I am going to be careless or carefree or forget who and what is important. Truth is, I am excited to see all the comic book movies coming out this summer — Thor, Captain America, X-Men: First Class — because my cousin would have LOVED them. And he made me the comic book geek I am today; heck, he used to DRAW his own comics…in fact, that’s my first memory of him, when he showed me his own comics. (He killed himself on March 25th 2007 — and, if you can believe it, his body was found on the same day Captain America was killed. Fitting in a way, I think.)
Anyway. These are all kind of the reasons why I want to jump out of a plane…
For all of what you said above, and with complete dismissal of any of my concerns, I hope you get to have this dream come true!! (I think I’d need the champagne ahead of time, btw.)
No way hosea.
can you tell I’m trying to catch up on your blog? lol
haha! YEP!
And I’m enjoying your comments.