 
I did my first skydive, a tandem, on May 13, 2000. "Lets go!" were the last words I remember before the jump. There had been 13 other sky divers aboard, but in a blur, they were gone. I was last and when I reached at door at 6,000 feet I took a quick glance below of the Monterey Peninsula and Bay and jumped! What had been anticipation and anxiety was transformed into maximum, total fear as I reached the door - it had to be momentum from the steps down the aisle of the plane that carried me into the open sky.
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For sixty seconds of eternity
you are completely, totally free of all other worldly concerns;
it's just you and the all-enveloping 120 mph rush of wind. Climbing
to the drop zone I'd had time to think about my equipment and
wondered that maybe I should have been equipped with something
more than a harness and goggles. All of the other skydivers seemed
to me to look like astronauts! Oh well, I didn't have to be worried
about the extra weight!
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There was an incredible rush of
adrenaline after leaving the plane. The thrill of danger sharpens
your focus, slows time and heightens your senses - and yelling
during the free fall, once I was able to catch my breath, really
seemed to help me relax.
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As you fall the mad rush of wind
suddenly transforms into the peaceful calm of a parachute ride.
I vividly remember looking at the earth's landscape below and
now regret a missed opportunity to glance skyward, just to fix
in my mind a picture of what a parachute looks like when you're
strung beneath it.
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Raf probably asks all of his clients
how they enjoy riding a roller coaster, and when he asked me,
my response of "I do ok" led to a series of circles,
turns and maneuvers which prompted more screaming and a stomach
turned upside down.
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By the way, the big reason I decided
on a jump was to avoid the agony and anguish of celebrating a
60th birthday party. Friends and family were invited to join
me in the skydive - but in the end only my daughter (Alisha)
grandaughter (Madeleine) and Diane (Alisha's friend) were there
for the show.
The landing was so soft a 1 year
old could have handled it!
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