Think of the happiest things. Itās the same as having wings.
It took 25 years and a lot of rescheduling, but I did it. I flew. I soared through the air like a bird, above all the troubles and struggles Iāve ever known. It was magic.
As any sane person would be, I was nervous. The thought of stepping to the edge of a plane at 13,500 feet in the air andĀ jumping goes against every survival instinct gifted by evolution. A tiny part of me wondered if I would wimp out.
My heart began to pound as the plane crept higher and higher into the sky. It occurred to me what a ridiculous thing I was doing, what an unnecessary risk I was taking. Halfway up, a student of solo-jumping crawled right up to the plane door, slide it open, and threw himself out with zero hesitation. My mouth fell open, and in that moment the full realization of what I was doing hit me.
Before I could panic, my tandem instruction was raising me to my knees and strapping us together. This was happening. Attached like a mother and baby kangaroo, we scooted awkwardly on our knees to the very edge of the plane until the wind whipped my face and the Earth stretched far below. I looked down. Instead of being overtaken by fear, I cracked the biggest smile of my life.
Next instant we were falling. And then I was flying.
I stretched my arms out (further then regulations allowed) and felt myself gliding through the clouds. The stomach-dropping sensation I was expecting never came. The best I can describe it is as a feeling of rapidly descending floating. Iām told I fell for 60 seconds, but to me it seemed closer to 10 seconds.
When my instructor pulled the chute, my ears were deaf for about 20 seconds. Our plummet was tugged to a halt. I couldnāt hear a word, and could only look at the skies in front of me. The 7 minute glide back to Earth was fill of spins, turns, and āoh my godās.
My feet finally hit the ground, and let me tell you I felt like a Superhero. There is nothing Iām afraid of anymore, nothing I wonāt try. Shark cage, scuba diving, bungee jumpingā¦ taking a risk and leaving a safe job, a safe cityā¦ letting go of bad habitsā¦ choosing to love myselfā¦
If I can look down from 13,500 feet and actually jump, why canāt I do all those other things? Thereās a fire in me now, a confidence, that wasnāt there before. Iām not surprised. I always knew I was meant to fly.
In fact, my next jump is already booked. See you in the sky!
I Learned toĀ Fly Think of the happiest things. It's the same as having wings. It took 25 years and a lot of rescheduling, but I did it.
