I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of skydiving. I think it would be a liberating, heart-pounding adventure. I could jump out of a plane. I could fall. What gives me pause is the moment when you pull the ripcord and your parachute opens and you get yanked abruptly upward. That’s a problem.
Many years ago I had a herniated disc, and the pain was excruciating for many, many months. I tried everything, and nothing was working, until I found acupuncture, and that saved me from a lifetime of sitting around and weeping in pain. But that abrupt parachute yank could easily cause a herniated disc. This is also why I refuse to try bungee jumping, and no longer roller skate or ice skate. It’s the abrupt halts in life that I dread.
But then I discovered that there’s a way to skydive without the yank. Indoor skydiving is fun and exciting, sans parachute. My unbelievably supportive husband gave me a gift certificate to iFly Seattle for my birthday, and I’ve just been waiting for an opportune time to take advantage of it.
Finally the time was right, and oh my God, it was awesome!!!!!! I felt so free. And my instructor said I was a natural. It wasn’t at all scary, even though I was leaping into a vertical wind tunnel. I felt like I had been doing it all my life. I took two flights that day, and it wasn’t until I was done that I noticed that my heart was pounding. But it was exhilaration, not terror. I can’t wait to do it again!
The only downside is that I think gravity will always feel slightly strange and a bit of a nuisance now. But that’s a small price to pay for this incredible experience. Check out this video of my second flight!
If for some reason you are unable to see the video, here, at least, is a still picture.
