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#11
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
Pat wrote:
The worrisome thing about such an elderly fellow doing it is the fact that first of all, he's had both hips replaced already, and back surgery, and finally, he's old enough that a jolt like landing from a sky dive could damage thinned bones and/or joints. He is most likely aware of the risks. At that age, you could die at any moment, so maybe he figures, why not die doing something exciting, if that's his time to go? My father and I used to go across the river to Canada (from Detroit) to play snooker and buy a certain type of whiskey that was much cheaper over there. He had to make frequent trips because there was a limit on how much of it could be imported duty-free after a short trip. There are two ways to drive from Detroit to Windsor - a bridge over and a tunnel under the Detroit River. I was too afraid to go on the bridge, and my father was too claustrophobic to enter the tunnel. So he would drop me off at the tunnel entrance and let me take a bus to the other side, while he drove over the bridge. Your dad sounds like a good guy, at least from this story. Very accomodating of him! My father would have forced me to go over the bridge. How does one go from being willing to jump down from high places, to being unable to bear even being up there? These days I am afraid to stand on a footstool. I think I would enjoy the sensation of "flying" but I'd probably never get up the nerve to "take off". I've never been all that sure-footed or confident about heights, even when I was younger and far more fit than I am now. It's only gotten worse as I've gotten older (and lazier). (At to planes, I don't mind as long as there's a solid floor. But I hate the physical sensation of traveling at super-sonic speed and the altitude of a jet. I much prefer a small plane.) Ironically - and I'm sure you know this - a commercial jet is much, much safer. Those little planes crash a lot more often. They're closer to the ground (higher altitude is safer because there's more time to recover from a problem), and they're a lot more subject to being tossed around by wind shears and other environmental threats. But phobias aren't rational, and I've been known to be terrified by possible but extremely unlikely events, while staying relatively calm during real danger. -- Joyce ^..^ (To email me, remove the X's from my user name.) |
#12
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
wrote | Ironically - and I'm sure you know this - a commercial jet is much, much | safer. Those little planes crash a lot more often. They're closer to the | ground (higher altitude is safer because there's more time to recover from | a problem), and they're a lot more subject to being tossed around by wind | shears and other environmental threats. But phobias aren't rational, and | I've been known to be terrified by possible but extremely unlikely events, | while staying relatively calm during real danger. I'm not afraid of flying as such. I just don't enjoy flying - in a jet. The way I figure it, if something goes wrong while flying and one must jump out, at least in a small plane when you jump out there is AIR to breathe. I know what you mean about irrational phobias. My mother had one about snakes (which I've always loved). I don't mind being tossed around by the wind, or by the sea on a boat, unless it's a really large ship. |
#13
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
All that said, there is something about skydiving that appeals to me.
But maybe not enough to actually do it. I did try parasailing once, which scared the crap out of me, but was worth it. I've only known two people who did either. The one who parachuted broke both ankles and was still walking with a slight limp when I last saw her about ten years ago (several years after it happened). The guy who did paragliding smashed his legs up so thoroughly they're full of metal pins and he can only walk a few hundred yards; he'll probably end up in a wheelchair. I kinda fancy hot air ballooning but I'm sure somebody has a story about that... ==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts |
#14
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
wrote in message
... Joy wrote: Why not? He jumped on his 80th. I jumped on my 70th and my 71st. A friend who was dying of cancer jumped a couple of months before he died. I was thinking of you when I saw that post. In the first place, it's probably safer than driving on the freeway, especially if you do a tandem jump with an experienced jumper. In the second place, the view is incredible, and it's an experience a relatively small percentage of people ever have. In the first place, overcoming a fear is very empowering. If your heart survives the experience, that is. As for overcoming a fear, I don't know that doing something once is enough. When I was younger, I had a fear of flying (yes, I didn't even like to fly in planes, much less jump *out* of one!). But after taking many trips, I've more or less gotten over it, although I'm always anxious in the few days preceeding a long flight. I manage to get through the actual flight, at least, though I confess to using chemical aid. It definitely took me quite a few flights before I got used to it enough not to be a total wreck. All that said, there is something about skydiving that appeals to me. But maybe not enough to actually do it. I did try parasailing once, which scared the crap out of me, but was worth it. -- Joyce ^..^ Overcoming a fear isn't necessarily curing it. However, I felt much more confidence in myself because I did something that terrified me. Even on my third jump, I was terrified when they opened the door to the plane, but once I was out, it was glorious. I'm surprised you found parasailing scary. It was so gentle that if you couldn't look and see the view, you wouldn't even know you were in the air. I'm glad you think it was worth it, though. I do understand that a phobia is not an easy thing to cure, and many of them never get cared at all. However, I've always liked Eleanor Roosevelt's quote, below. -- Joy "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience during which you must stop and look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do" - Eleanor Roosevelt |
#15
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
"Matthew" wrote in message
g.com... wrote in message ... Joy wrote: Why not? He jumped on his 80th. I jumped on my 70th and my 71st. A friend who was dying of cancer jumped a couple of months before he died. I was thinking of you when I saw that post. In the first place, it's probably safer than driving on the freeway, especially if you do a tandem jump with an experienced jumper. In the second place, the view is incredible, and it's an experience a relatively small percentage of people ever have. In the first place, overcoming a fear is very empowering. If your heart survives the experience, that is. As for overcoming a fear, I don't know that doing something once is enough. When I was younger, I had a fear of flying (yes, I didn't even like to fly in planes, much less jump *out* of one!). But after taking many trips, I've more or less gotten over it, although I'm always anxious in the few days preceeding a long flight. I manage to get through the actual flight, at least, though I confess to using chemical aid. It definitely took me quite a few flights before I got used to it enough not to be a total wreck. All that said, there is something about skydiving that appeals to me. But maybe not enough to actually do it. I did try parasailing once, which scared the crap out of me, but was worth it. -- Joyce ^..^ (To email me, remove the X's from my user name.) I have sky dived, Para sailed, bungee jumped before when I weighed less and a lot younger. Was it worth it YES IT WAS. Would I do it again depends on what is for dinner ;-) Bungee jumping? Now that's something I don't think I could ever do. Joy |
#16
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
"Pat" wrote in message
et... wrote | When I was younger, I had a fear of flying (yes, I didn't even | like to fly in planes, much less jump *out* of one!). But after taking | many trips, I've more or less gotten over it, although I'm always | anxious in the few days preceeding a long flight. I manage to get | through the actual flight, at least, though I confess to using chemical | aid. | | It definitely took me quite a few flights before I got used to it | enough not to be a total wreck. | | All that said, there is something about skydiving that appeals to me. | But maybe not enough to actually do it. I did try parasailing once, | which scared the crap out of me, but was worth it. The worrisome thing about such an elderly fellow doing it is the fact that first of all, he's had both hips replaced already, and back surgery, and finally, he's old enough that a jolt like landing from a sky dive could damage thinned bones and/or joints. On all three of the times I went skydiving, there was no jolt when we landed. I was strapped to an instructor, who landed on his knees. I landed in a sitting position. We gently touched down and then skidded a few feet before we came to a stop. snip How does one go from being willing to jump down from high places, to being unable to bear even being up there? These days I am afraid to stand on a footstool. I think I would enjoy the sensation of "flying" but I'd probably never get up the nerve to "take off". (At to planes, I don't mind as long as there's a solid floor. But I hate the physical sensation of traveling at super-sonic speed and the altitude of a jet. I much prefer a small plane.) It is interesting how different people perceive things differently. I prefer small planes to large ones because you are closer to the ground in a small plane and can see more and feel that you are actually moving. In a large passenger jet, I feel vibrations but don't have a sensation of moving, and most of the time you're too high to see the ground - not to mention there are usually clouds in the way. Joy |
#17
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
"Pat" wrote in message
... wrote | Ironically - and I'm sure you know this - a commercial jet is much, much | safer. Those little planes crash a lot more often. They're closer to the | ground (higher altitude is safer because there's more time to recover from | a problem), and they're a lot more subject to being tossed around by wind | shears and other environmental threats. But phobias aren't rational, and | I've been known to be terrified by possible but extremely unlikely events, | while staying relatively calm during real danger. I'm not afraid of flying as such. I just don't enjoy flying - in a jet. The way I figure it, if something goes wrong while flying and one must jump out, at least in a small plane when you jump out there is AIR to breathe. I know what you mean about irrational phobias. My mother had one about snakes (which I've always loved). I don't mind being tossed around by the wind, or by the sea on a boat, unless it's a really large ship. Yes, phobias are interesting and irrational things. I've always had a love-hate relationship with heights. I love being up high if there is something (like an airplane) around me or if I have something to hold onto. I'm terrified of heights otherwise. That meant that it didn't take any courage at all for me to learn to fly a plane in my 40's, but it took all the courage I could muster to jump out of an airplane. In fact, up until about six months before my 70th birthday I often said that if I were in a plane that was on fire, and was wearing a parachute, someone would have to push me out of the plane and then pry my hands loose from the sides of the doorway. Joy |
#18
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
Joy wrote:
Overcoming a fear isn't necessarily curing it. I see what you mean. I tend to think of those things as synonymous. I'm surprised you found parasailing scary. It was so gentle that if you couldn't look and see the view, you wouldn't even know you were in the air. I'm glad you think it was worth it, though. Hey, we all have our levels of fear to deal with. I guess I'm more afraid of heights than you are. Parasailing is probably the safest of all the "suspended in air" sports I can think of, so it made sense for me to try that first. I do understand that a phobia is not an easy thing to cure, and many of them never get cared at all. However, I've always liked Eleanor Roosevelt's quote, below. "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience during which you must stop and look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do" - Eleanor Roosevelt If that quote inspires you, that's cool. I really mean that. But when I was growing up, I was full of anxieties and phobias, and I was constantly ridiculed and berated for my fears. My dad would alternate between that and trying to reassure me, so I was never sure which response I would get. Please note that this is not the same thing as gently encouraging a kid to take on things she's afraid to do. Being told you're a "baby" or that you're "stubborn", or whatever, is really not helpful. Unfortunately, Eleanor's quote just ends up striking me the same way. I do get it that most other people don't hear it that way. -- Joyce ^..^ (To email me, remove the X's from my user name.) |
#19
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
Joy wrote:
"Matthew" wrote in message I have sky dived, Para sailed, bungee jumped before when I weighed less and a lot younger. Was it worth it YES IT WAS. Would I do it again depends on what is for dinner ;-) Bungee jumping? Now that's something I don't think I could ever do. Is there a weight limit for that? I would think there would be. Just curious. I'm not exactly standing in line to jump. -- Joyce ^..^ (To email me, remove the X's from my user name.) |
#20
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[OT] To Sky-Dive @ Eighty-Five
wrote in message ... Joy wrote: "Matthew" wrote in message I have sky dived, Para sailed, bungee jumped before when I weighed less and a lot younger. Was it worth it YES IT WAS. Would I do it again depends on what is for dinner ;-) Bungee jumping? Now that's something I don't think I could ever do. Is there a weight limit for that? I would think there would be. Just curious. I'm not exactly standing in line to jump. -- Joyce ^..^ (To email me, remove the X's from my user name.) I am past the limit now ;-) for all but one 250 for the sky diving or that is what the local dive school say is there limit Para sailing 400lb total according to the cruise lines explanation bungee 250 that was what it was when I jumped I will never do bungee again I jumped from a bridge over water up north most do it from a crane nope not me seen to many accidents |
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