bedehazlet

Has anyone had recent experience at Skydive Coastal California in Camarillo? Everything on the forum about this DZ seems to be from '09 or '10.

You've only just touched it, it gets better. What a beautiful experience, obelixtim.

Well I guess our conversation is over. I hope not!

QuoteWhat about the idea of the monastery setting up a small non-profit/charity DZ. That's an interesting possibility, RMK! There's a glider school nearby so we might complement each other. On the other hand, like raising sheep (which I've also considered trying to do here) this would probably require the involvement of other monks and I'm not sure how much interest there would be.

No, MikeJD, I don't purport to be a glamorous ex-nun, but it's helpful to know about the perma-banned poster you mention. If anyone is really in doubt about my identity, just give the Abbey a ring or stop by!

Talking to DZs seems like a good idea, wolfriverjoe. Thank you. And thanks again to everyone who has replied so far to my initial post. I really appreciate your taking the time to do so - and your patience with a thread that I realize is probably veering a bit from the domain of a "General Skydiving Discussion." The sense of community among those who jump out of perfectly good airplanes is a big part of the sport's appeal, and your attitude of welcome (and sense of humor!) really reflects that.

There's definitely something about freefall, obelixtim, that gives you a different perspective on your relationship with the world and the mystery from which it emerged.

Dude, no offence taken, DiverMike! Nuns and monks make up such a tiny proportion of the population that we certainly don't expect people to have a sense of what our life is about. And I realize that from a certain point of view (not necessarily yours) our way of life can seem absurd (at best) or societally parasitic (at worst).

No need to apologise for your questions, Lisa! I appreciate the interest in my inquiry - which, by the way, I hope isn't so off-topic here as to count as trolling. That's certainly not what I intend. Nobody else in my monastery has wanted to pursue anything quite like this. Our Abbot makes most decisions about the allocation of funds, and while he tires to encourage monks' interests this one probably seems a bit bizarre in the monastic world (though I think there can definitely be a mystical dimension to it!). On my first jump I was the guest of a friend.

I do actually work, TheRealOps7; I just don't "receive compensation" that I can use "at my discretion." And I'm content with that - I've freely chosen a communal way of life. It just creates a puzzling situation if you're interested in skydiving!

Thanks for the welcome, MikeJD! I'm certainly not trolling in the malicious sense; and I hope I'm not in the off-topic sense but I'm not a very good judge of that.

I'm thinking inter-religious dialogue might be better, cocheese...

I'm not sure it's a "higher calling," DiverMike; just a different one. Each person's calling (or range of possible callings) involves the set of things needed for that person to become fully him- or herself, which I do think gives glory to God and makes the person more available to the needs of others - the neighbor, society as a whole. For some of us that set of things can be found in a monastery; for most they'll be found elsewhere. I do have SOME spare time to waste (or invest) on a forum like this...

Some rather monastic insights in that clip, AdamUK! In some ways solemn profession was a bit like cutting away in this sense and in an ongoing way I think cutting away the bullshit is a good idea. I find, though, that the anchor-point of monastic commitment and its demands makes liberation on various other levels possible, paradoxically - speaking only for myself.

Thank you for this thoughtful response, Wendy; there does seem to be a fine line!