I can't talk about it

[Zenister 0]

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I jump now for all the reasons stated here. Also because I can't thnk of anything else I feel so passionately about. I mean how in the hell do you top a sunset jump all by yourself looking west into the dissolving light of a perfect day??

HD looking east as the rays of the dying sun illuminate Mt. Rainer, some 30 miles away..

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Those who fail to learn from the past are simply Doomed.

[racer42 0]

See what I mean. BTW Ranier has to be the most beautiful mountain I've ever seen.

L.A.S.T. #24
Co-Founder Biscuit Brothers Freefly Team
Electric Toaster #3
Co-Founder Team Non Sequitor
Co-Founder Team Happy Sock

[dropdeded 0]

Several months ago I watched a Discovery channel show about taking risks. They specifically used skydiving as the test platform.
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Is that the one with the two guys that do a level 1 and the dude with the long hair kinda freaks?I have that on tape somewhere.Very good program.

dropdeded

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The Dude Abides.
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[beemertec 0]

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On a less existential note, how do experienced jumpers explain their motivations to those near and dear to them?

Well, I can't explain what I feel when I skydive( it is such an odd combunation of emotions), so I just tell them nothing else makes me feel like I feel when I skydive. Not only that, but I have never met another group of people that I connect with so well.

Blue Skies
Steve
Ok, so it's pink, but I'm secure in my manhood, and I still look cool coming in under it!

[Auryn 0]

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On a less existential note, how do experienced jumpers explain their motivations to those near and dear to them?

I don't. I gave up on that a LONG time ago.

Blue Ones !

Bryan

[Brokeneagle 0]

I explain using the combination "have you ever dreamed you can fly?" and "it's the most beautiful sight I have ever seen, the earth spread out in front of my eyes, better'n National Geographic" method- for me, flying with my body's all I have ever wanted to do, as long as I can remember- I dreamed of flying constantly as a child growing up, even inventing in my dreams a little pill to MAKE someone fly- you take it, wait 30 seconds, flap yer arms and take off--

Brokeneagle.

I'm really very gentle, no matter what my kung-fu teacher says... he is giving me a reputation I do not deserve!

[mustard 0]

That was a wonderful description, billvon, of why you skydive. Everything you said resonated with me. I never had dreams about flying, as some have said in here, but I think that was because I was raised believing I am smaller than I really am -- that reaching for the sky was beyond me. And I bought it, as a woman growing up in the days of Leave It to Beaver, I thought my role was growing up and getting married, having lots of kids, baking bread, and basically not reaching up for anything, just take care of everybody else.

Skydiving changed my life in so many ways, but the biggest way it changed is that I was empowered by that first tandem in a way that I've seen others be empowered when you skydive. And no, I cannot tell anybody who is not a skydiver exactly *why* I skydive, but every skydiver who reads my words knows why.

Now I have thousands of jumps. I am younger in my heart now than when I started jumping, and I keep myself fit so that I can continue to skydive and help others through the narrow doorway of skydiving for as long as I can. Skydiving images are so powerful to me now: I was waffling about going to the DZ today because it's cold and supposed to get cloudy. Skratch looked out the door and up in the sky and said, "they're out!" And even though I knew nobody was jumping and he was kidding me, I felt the power of those words, they spoke to me, a skydiver.

There's no doubt that when I was in my twenties and thirties I was a skydiver in my heart, but I didn't know it and didn't know how to reach out of my humdrum life. Then one day I saw somebody jump out of an airplane at an air show, land in front of me like a bird, barefoot and smiling. I made a tandem... and the rest is history.

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DJan