The First Time
Slush, Slush, Slush, "Ahhhhhhhhhh!" "Well, there goes another graceful one," I looked admirably down the slope, "How do they do that?" "With lots of practice?!" Veronica replied sarcastically. "No kidding!" I gave her a look.
Then with a unsure voice I said, "I'm going to try it myself, wish me luck."
"Break a leg?!" "Ha, Ha, very funny." Slowly, I crabbed walked up the slope.
Shaking all over, I was afraid to look down. Yet, I still had the courage to stagger myself to the top. Feeling a little dizzy by the high altitude, I took a deep breath of the cold frost bitten air. Then without a second thought, I lowered my knees and gave it a quick push. "Ahhhhhhhh!" Oh my God, what have I put myself through. Is this what I really came here for? Why do I feel like I'm flying, like a 747, heavy but still floating in the air. Have I died and left my body? No, No, I'm to young to die. Give me another chance to live. Please, let me go. Suddenly, I felt myself swaggering. The air pressure pushing harder below me. No, No, I take it back, don't let me go. Thoughts that were racing through my mind were blown away by a sudden "Thud!" like all those times I've dived off a diving board with my belly down. "Where am I?" I whispered to myself, " Why is it so cold?" "Hey Jo! Get up!" "Uh?" "Hurry, before someone accidentally skis over y...
... and out of my lungs as I breath, the thunderous beating in my ears is starting to resend. I look around and realize that I have fallen less than halfway to the ground. I am a live, but my job isn't done yet. I pulled my feet together and make two perfect bounds to the ground below.
I began to panic. I can’t do this, why am I even here, you're going to fall, just go home, you can’t do anything. You're gone to freak out and fail. The thoughts scraped past my ears, and into my hopeless head staring down at the top of the mountain.
The second time I got into position again, determined to get up I yelled “Ready.” This time I put too much pressure on my front foot and fell forwards.
As I fell, my stomach lurched in a thrilling, heart pounding way. My brain was screaming, demanding that I grab onto something, anything to slow my fall. My body, however, knew exactly what to do.
I knew taking this shortcut was a mistake, yet I didn't think I had enough strength to keep climbing this monumental cliff with the others. The humidity was affecting my vision and the ground now started to spin. The muscles in my legs felt
I stared down at my hands, trying to control the shaking. My breathing came out slowly, if it came out at all. I felt like bursting into tears. I stared at the boards in front of me. My head was spinning, and my mind was racing. I couldn’t believe I had missed that break.
Something was jerking inside of me now. It wasn’t life. It was fear. “I don’t have what it takes.”
I opened my eyes and they focused immediately on all that space between me and the bottom of the drop. I wasn’t even half way down the drop an I felt the whole drop in my gut I enjoy the feeling so I like getting on them rides.Coming back up for another turn I look to my right and friend Olivia from school screaming as
I had no idea what was going on and I don’t think he knew either. I could feel myself loosing balance but I fought to stay up right as I covered my ears screaming because I couldn’t stand the pain of never-ending noise pulsing through my head!
Here goes nothing, I thought. I jumped up, I tucked, but then when I flipped it felt too slow as I was going through the motions, Seriously Morgan?! I was so upset. At least try not to smash your head open. I felt the pressure of my body going down I untucked myself. BOOM! At first I thought it was my knees but no, my feet hit the trampoline. I straightened up preparing myself to fall back. Still I didn’t. I stuck my landing.
The plane started to take off and moments later we were high above the ground. There were 7 crew members on at the
As we walked to our car, we realized just how much the day had taken out of us physically. We were both bruised and sore from our practice jumps into the gravel pit and very tired. But, at the same time, our souls felt warm and satisfied at discovering that we could overcome our fears and experience the joy and freedom of skydiving.
stood upon, was frightening. The only was to go was down. I took a deep
It was a bright sunny day, the sky was a soft shade of blue and there
I raised my arms in anger, ?I?m talking to you.? Instantly his arm swung swiftly, like steel, it impacted on mine. Fear bulged from my eyeballs, he grasped both my hands and heaved me up. My feet dangled in the air.