The Giant Leap of Awe and Wonder

As most of you know, yesterday I jumped out of a perfectly good plane. It was a small aircraft–a Cessna–with very little room. Four of us crammed into the tiny fuselage–me, my friend and two instructors. We bade farewell to the ground and began to climb. The ride was surprisingly smooth and as we gained more height, we began to see the wonders of the world below us. With very few clouds–most of them above us–we were able to scan the horizons and take in the beauty of creation. The long curved beach of Wasaga spread before us and we were awed by the natural aura of the farmland below. It signaled peace and tranquility. It wasn’t to last long.

The climb to 12,000 ft was soon to be over as my instructor opened the small door. My instructions were, “I will put one foot out onto the step and then you put both of yours out there.” Aagh! My God, I was scared. Cold air rushed through the plane and with my arms crossed across my chest, I followed my life support system out of the plane and onto the tiny bar just outside the door. It was terrifying and my face reflected this terror–I know, because I have the picture to prove it. Before I could count to three, we were somersaulting into the air. At least one flip, maybe two, and we were hurtling towards all those wonders below. I was given the okay to release my crossed arms and spread them out into the frigid air. A quick reminder to bend my knees up, and I cruised at 200 km/hr towards the ground. A smile spread on my face as I was finally able to let go of my fear and begin to appreciate this feat, taking it in. Apparently, I dropped for 30 seconds–try counting that slowly, right now–until the moment of truth began to slow me down.

The parachute tugged at my body and we began to drift. It was surreal. I don’t know how many feet we were above ground but a serenity of peace coursed through my veins and I was able, finally, to relax. I remember speaking, “this is so awesome”, as we floated towards the marvels below. The scenery was spectacular as we swung this way and that. Going around in a circle, it felt as if I was on a swing at a carnival except that the ground approached me. It was two and half minutes of pure bliss. And then we began our approach to the landing site. Trepidation hit me, but not the pure terror of stepping out of that plane; this was a minute fear in comparison and ultimately, in vain as I welcomed the surface below, my feet sliding along the grass with a satisfying feeling of grace.

Awe and wonder enveloped me as I watched my friend drift from the air to the ground. It was a great experience to share that thrills me, even now. I will be forever grateful for this experience of life within the throes of death. A big shout out to the team at Skydive Wasaga Beach and especially to my captain and my keeper who attached his body to mine and gave me the opportunity to experience the exhilaration, terror and veneration of life all at once. 

peace balance empathy