#18 ~ Jump out of Plane ~ Don't Die
June 11th 2006, This SUPERindianwoman jumped out of a perfectly good plane. Well, as far as I could tell, the plane was actually pretty questionable. {INSERT PIC OF PLANE} And has lived to tell about it.
What started this madness? Me and my big mouth. A friend of mine received a gift certificate as a birthday present, at which point I opened my big mouth and said, “Lucky! I wish I could go with you!” *Ahem, they called my bluff. And if you are reading this you probably know enough about me to know, I had my reputation as one tough broad to protect. And quite frankly I wasn’t scared at all until in got into the questionable plane. But, I will get to that in a second.
So after months of talking about it, a date was set. June 11th, 2006. And I of course tell EVERYONE. Why? ‘Cuz my friends and dearly beloved come in one of two varieties… The first believe I’m insane and beg me not to make yet another radical life threatening decision (example? My eloping), and the second would tease me mercilessly for the rest of my days if I backed out. The second group outnumbers the first in droves. So off I go…
Now for starters I took the floatplane from Victoria to Vancouver on Friday. It was great weather and there were only a few pressure pockets that left my stomach feeling like that last cup of coffee was trying to exit my nose. I did my best to look out the window the whole time at the little houses and cars that looked like lethargic aunts… but alas I could only look for so long as I had a head cold that made my head feel like my sinuses were going to explode. (Insert my new addiction to Tylenol cold and flu here.) While I was up there in the clouds, I pictured myself winging open the door and jumping yelling GERONIMO! And hurdling myself towards the earth… somewhere over Richmond I thought… SHIT! I am about to do that, what the hell am I thinking??? A whole new reason to justify thinking before you speak. If you can’t be a good example, be a horrible warning.
So it occurs to me, I can picture myself falling, and landing, but I cannot picture myself actually jumping. It seems to be the most unnatural thing in the world. Like jumping into a lake not knowing how to swim. Jumping out of a plane not knowing how to fly. Hoping the person you are strapped too, does.
So, we go out for a night to celebrate what could be our last night on earth. I don’t drink (as usual) but wonder if anything I put in my mouth will come out at 10,000 feet. The next morning we head out to Abbotsford. I think we must have some time to get settled, get up the nerve, GET DIRECTIONS on what we are about to do. I assume wrong. We got a quick 5 minute explanation of what we were to expect and what we were supposed to do in the event of an emergency. I lost track of everything the instructor said right about the time he described me sitting on the edge of the plane at 10,000 feet. Seriously, suddenly he sounded like an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon: “Wanh, Wanh, Wanh, Wanh, Wanh….” I don’t’ know if it was the thunderstorm heading our way, the Backup of people behind us, they didn’t want to give us a chance to get scared, or if they had a complete lack of compassion, but within 20 minutes of stepping out of the car, I’m climbing into a plane with the Aussie Shane who’s hands my life now rests. I’m feeling a little nauseous, but saw three of my friends land safely on the ground. But as the plane shakes off the ground, I think to myself… WHAT THE HELL??? Where’s my asthma inhaler, where’s my mind, haven’t I found Jesus yet? I am the last out of the plane, Hazelnut is the first… suddenly the door opens. OH MY GOD. The plane seriously is a lawnmower in the sky. It was a judgment call, jumping seemed better than landing in it.
We freefall for a minute and I am screaming the entire way… Not the terrified scream I thought I would have… but sheer JOY. I am thrilled, ecstatic, HOOKED. I found out the day before that they treat asthma attacks with adrenaline… Looks like I won’t have one for a week. The world is hurdling towards me and I didn’t’ want it to stop. The shoot opens…. I am thinking of my daughter… she asked me to think of her, ‘cuz she wants to fly…. I think of her. I think of my son. I think of how less fulfilled I would be in life had I not had them, not done this. Shane asks me how that felt…. Jumping. First I felt solid in the plane, and then not…. Just like liquid. He asks how my stomach is… “Solid” I say… so he says ok, we’re gonna feel some g force and then weightlessness. We do. We spin at some outrageous rate and then up… pause… no weight and down. When we land…. I vibrate for hours…. I can’t believe I did that! Can’t wait to do it again! I do eventually kiss the ground… and we make plans to do this annually.
Scratch # 18 off my list of things to do. Jump out of plane, don’t die. Check!
I am superindianwoman… no cape! What provokes me to do these things? Who knows... Perhaps it’s in my genes, perhaps it is fear, Perhaps it’s a result of my upbringing… Regardless of why, I still endeavor too do the impossible, the outrageous, the ridiculous. Midlife crisis? Hardly I plan on living a long, long time. Not at halfway yet. I just want as few regrets as I can from here on out. Handgliding should be a cinch....
!M.
PS, A Special Thanks to Juicy Fruit and Stands with Juice for starting this whole madness, would not have done it without you. Stands with Juice, let's see if you can jump with juice.
What started this madness? Me and my big mouth. A friend of mine received a gift certificate as a birthday present, at which point I opened my big mouth and said, “Lucky! I wish I could go with you!” *Ahem, they called my bluff. And if you are reading this you probably know enough about me to know, I had my reputation as one tough broad to protect. And quite frankly I wasn’t scared at all until in got into the questionable plane. But, I will get to that in a second.
So after months of talking about it, a date was set. June 11th, 2006. And I of course tell EVERYONE. Why? ‘Cuz my friends and dearly beloved come in one of two varieties… The first believe I’m insane and beg me not to make yet another radical life threatening decision (example? My eloping), and the second would tease me mercilessly for the rest of my days if I backed out. The second group outnumbers the first in droves. So off I go…
Now for starters I took the floatplane from Victoria to Vancouver on Friday. It was great weather and there were only a few pressure pockets that left my stomach feeling like that last cup of coffee was trying to exit my nose. I did my best to look out the window the whole time at the little houses and cars that looked like lethargic aunts… but alas I could only look for so long as I had a head cold that made my head feel like my sinuses were going to explode. (Insert my new addiction to Tylenol cold and flu here.) While I was up there in the clouds, I pictured myself winging open the door and jumping yelling GERONIMO! And hurdling myself towards the earth… somewhere over Richmond I thought… SHIT! I am about to do that, what the hell am I thinking??? A whole new reason to justify thinking before you speak. If you can’t be a good example, be a horrible warning.
So it occurs to me, I can picture myself falling, and landing, but I cannot picture myself actually jumping. It seems to be the most unnatural thing in the world. Like jumping into a lake not knowing how to swim. Jumping out of a plane not knowing how to fly. Hoping the person you are strapped too, does.
So, we go out for a night to celebrate what could be our last night on earth. I don’t drink (as usual) but wonder if anything I put in my mouth will come out at 10,000 feet. The next morning we head out to Abbotsford. I think we must have some time to get settled, get up the nerve, GET DIRECTIONS on what we are about to do. I assume wrong. We got a quick 5 minute explanation of what we were to expect and what we were supposed to do in the event of an emergency. I lost track of everything the instructor said right about the time he described me sitting on the edge of the plane at 10,000 feet. Seriously, suddenly he sounded like an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon: “Wanh, Wanh, Wanh, Wanh, Wanh….” I don’t’ know if it was the thunderstorm heading our way, the Backup of people behind us, they didn’t want to give us a chance to get scared, or if they had a complete lack of compassion, but within 20 minutes of stepping out of the car, I’m climbing into a plane with the Aussie Shane who’s hands my life now rests. I’m feeling a little nauseous, but saw three of my friends land safely on the ground. But as the plane shakes off the ground, I think to myself… WHAT THE HELL??? Where’s my asthma inhaler, where’s my mind, haven’t I found Jesus yet? I am the last out of the plane, Hazelnut is the first… suddenly the door opens. OH MY GOD. The plane seriously is a lawnmower in the sky. It was a judgment call, jumping seemed better than landing in it.
We freefall for a minute and I am screaming the entire way… Not the terrified scream I thought I would have… but sheer JOY. I am thrilled, ecstatic, HOOKED. I found out the day before that they treat asthma attacks with adrenaline… Looks like I won’t have one for a week. The world is hurdling towards me and I didn’t’ want it to stop. The shoot opens…. I am thinking of my daughter… she asked me to think of her, ‘cuz she wants to fly…. I think of her. I think of my son. I think of how less fulfilled I would be in life had I not had them, not done this. Shane asks me how that felt…. Jumping. First I felt solid in the plane, and then not…. Just like liquid. He asks how my stomach is… “Solid” I say… so he says ok, we’re gonna feel some g force and then weightlessness. We do. We spin at some outrageous rate and then up… pause… no weight and down. When we land…. I vibrate for hours…. I can’t believe I did that! Can’t wait to do it again! I do eventually kiss the ground… and we make plans to do this annually.
Scratch # 18 off my list of things to do. Jump out of plane, don’t die. Check!
I am superindianwoman… no cape! What provokes me to do these things? Who knows... Perhaps it’s in my genes, perhaps it is fear, Perhaps it’s a result of my upbringing… Regardless of why, I still endeavor too do the impossible, the outrageous, the ridiculous. Midlife crisis? Hardly I plan on living a long, long time. Not at halfway yet. I just want as few regrets as I can from here on out. Handgliding should be a cinch....
!M.
PS, A Special Thanks to Juicy Fruit and Stands with Juice for starting this whole madness, would not have done it without you. Stands with Juice, let's see if you can jump with juice.
posted by Huney at 1:02 AM
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