One small step for me, one giant leap 2 miles downward

I have thought about skydiving for quite some time.  Then last year, I mentioned the jump to a dear friend suggesting we take the plunge ?? to celebrate a milestone birthday??.  

Tickets were purchased; date and time scheduled.  Off we went, into the wild blue yonder!  Within no time, we were headed to our destination: Mile-Hi Skydiving Center.

To quell the fear of heights, I did not allow myself to contemplate the what-if's:  the plane crashes, the parachute doesn't open, the instructor looses consciousness just to name a few.  Instead, I enjoyed a beautiful Colorado Indian summer's day by taking in the sites of the Front Range and the Flatirons on the way to Longmont.  Upon arrival, we were greeted by smiling faces, a joyous spirit and a tranquility that allayed my fears. I only began to get nervous once we arrived at the airplane hanger.

It was here that I met my new found friend and protector, Hank Burnett, the tandem jump instructor.  What a fantastic guy.  He shook my hand, strapped the skydiving harness on me, gave me a quick "how to jump lesson"; within 15-20 minutes we were on the plane.  No how-to videos; just, we're gonna be fine.  I did ask if anyone has ever chickened??out.  Hank's response:  "In over 900 jumps nobody has ever not jumped.  Don't you be the first". 

For those of you, like me, who have never jumped, here's what happens next.  You will be asked by your instructor to sit on their lap so that they can attach your harness to theirs.  Once the plane reaches a certain altitude and levels out, one of the more experienced skydivers will open the jump door.  Then the jumping begins.  In my case, I was scooched forward by Hank on the bench seat.  Then we did the squat, rock forward, rock back, rock forward again and out of the plane we went. 

The shock of the cold wind and the downward acceleration was too much to grasp.   I could not believe that I was skydiving.  There was a part of me that wanted to stop the dive.  But of course that was impossible.  Rich, the videographer, was such an outstanding help.  Giving me the peace sign, holding my hand and all the while demonstrating his expertise was so fantastic I started focusing on whether I was jumping correctly instead of focusing on my fears.  Then the chute opened.

From free-fall to glide was quite the jolt, both physically and emotionally.  I have never felt such serenity; it almost brought me to tears.  What a joy indeed.

A big thank you to Hank and Rich.  You, my wife and my lifelong friend and brother JD (John Dardis), have immeasurably enriched my life.