How do you deal?

[yardhippie 0]

This is NOT ment to be a discussion of current events. It is although, ment to be a discusion of how we as a group and individuals deal with the loss of life that is associated with our sport.
I remember, vividly, a light-hearted conversation I had with fellow skydivers on or about my 14th jump, only my 3rd weekend skydiving. I was told, in a most solem tone, by jumpers still thousands of jumps my senior, that if you stay in this sport long enough you see your friends, you'll see your friends get hurt, and you'll see you frineds die.
No ifs ands or buts. Period.
I took this with a grain of salt. Feeling that I could deal with that if it should happen. And it has. More than once. I have seen a 182 go down through trees full of my friends, and all survive. Ive seen broken bones, ambulences, and recieved that call.
I seem to take it in stride. It hurts, but in the end, I was told to expect it.
It is the life we live. That is the chance we take.

So I ask. What do you do? How do YOU deal?

I say AMEN (even though I'm not relegious) I say be safe to my friends, and I say this is the life we chose, and Im still happy to be part of it.

Blue skies to all of you.

Goddam dirty hippies piss me off! ~GFD
"What do I get for closing your rig?" ~ me
"Anything you want." ~ female skydiver
Mohoso Rodriguez #865

[wingnut 0]

drank a botle of rum the firsttimei had a friend go in.... known 2 people to go in now, 5 total if you count ones that i've talked to and had a conversation with.....

______________________________________
"i have no reader's digest version"

[luckky 0]

I was told to expect it.
It is the life we live. That is the chance we take.
------------------------------------------------------------

I was told the same thing..I was around the sport for 2 yrs before i started jumping..Saw my 1st ( yes i said 1st) fatality when i only had less then 30 jumps..I didn't know them but it still had an impact..Since then i have been to 2 memorials of fellow skydivers that i have known personally..Is a hard thing to do..For me,, i deal with it in knowing that they left us doing somthing that they loved,beleved in,,a feeling of freedom..that only a fellow skydiver knows..

sommthing to think about,(,how u deal with it). How would u want others to deal with it?

even though i didn't know Gus i was moved to tears..

cried like a baby when i heard about Chris Martin,,knew him and the family..jumped at his place..celebrated and morned at the same time at his memorial,,kept thinking what would have chris wanted

If there are no trials in life,how will u know what is really imprtortant
liv2luv
luv2liv,,,SUMMOOO 1

lucky

[happythoughts 0]

There are two kinds of things. The things that you can control and the things you can't.

The things that I can control, I try to improve on or do safer. I observe the causes of other peoples accidents and then I don't do those things.

The things that I cannot control, I deny irrationally as a problem for "the other guy".
A car could come through a red light and whack me.
A dust devil could slam me to the ground.
I don't worry about stuff that I cannot prevent.

As Lisa says, "You can do everything right and still die". I agree. I also try to weight things in my favor by doing as much right as possible.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

I get really, really drunk by myself and have the conversations with the deceased I would be having if they were standing in front of me.

I guess that's theraputic. Well, theraputic or fuckin' nuts, it's how I cope.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[Squeak 17]

Quote

So I ask. What do you do? How do YOU deal?
Blue skies to all of you.

I sat with a friend a cried for a while, packed a bunch of rigs to stay busy, went to bed reallt late so I sleep straight away then did a 2 way with a high pull and floated around for a while and siad goodbye

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[karenmeal 0]

I start with alcohol and cigarettes, then move to deep breaths.. then exercise and concentrating on other things like school or work.. then back to cigarettes, then more exercise because you feel bad about smoking so much.. then more cigarettes because you've been so good about exercising recently... then repeat as necessary.

-Karen

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

I am one of the so-far blessed ones. I have never had a friend go in. I have had a few bust up their legs, though. I still have them to see and talk with, and believe me, as much as I am able to I avoid taking it all for granted.

I know and accept that I may not remain this lucky forever. But believe me, being in the sport about two years with no major losses can make a guy feel like surely something is keeping tragedy at bay. One does not want to face the fact that it is almost surely not the case.

One thing I do know is that I opt to avoid using alcohol or drugs to help me through things like loss of loved ones. I see that as a pit to fall into, and a habit that could form and become quite destructive, piling damage on top of loss.

So I just put myself into a state of deep thought and introspection when I have thinking, and sorting out of feelings, that I need to do. Time takes care of it.

Blue skies,
-Jeffrey

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[freeflir29 0]

You have to realize that death is part of life. When you step out the door of an aircraft.........you are taking a risk. Just like me working here in Baghdad. I live in a small camp. There's a couple hundred people here I guess. Not unlike a good sized DZ community. I've been here about 2 weeks now and we have lost 7 people I think. Thankfully, I hadn't gotten to know them yet. Thankfully...........I haven't lost any REALLY close friends in skydiving yet. Certainly some people that I knew but no REALLY close friends. YET. It's a risk.........they knew that when they took it. They died doing something that they loved. I can't think of a better way to go.

[cocheese 0]

I realize we lose someone every two weeks or less in this sport. Some i morn for 5 minutes, some for 5 days.And for some, the pain never goes away. I feel bad for the close family member survivors.
When healthy people leave the sport after a close death i wonder why they even skydived in the first place. Like; Are you just now realizing stuff ?
When people continue to jump soon after their brother or dad died for example, I think, now there is someone who knows why they skydive.
My question : How do you stop wondering who's next ?
So i try to never forget it could be you.... or me.

[Ron 10]

You get used to it, or you quit.

The first time I got the call, my legs turned to jelly and I felt like someone dropped an elephant on my chest.

Now, the first response is to say damn, and take a second and stop and think about them. I then move on with my life, like they would have if the roles were reversed.

It gets easier as it happens more...Or you quit.

I had a team mate bounce. I took it kinda hard since our last conversation didn't go the way I would have liked. One member finished the year and quit. I just sold his gear last mth. Still even when you quit unless you go away the deaths still sting when you hear of them.

If you stay in this sport, expect to bury lots more friends....Unless its you that they bury.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334