As Alicia perched by the open door of the aeroplane at fourteen thousand feet, icy air delivered a swift back-hander to her face. One thought dominated all others, 'I'm actually going to do this!'It was something Alicia had wanted to do for a long time and turning thirty brought it to the forefront of her mind and right up to the top of her priority list. With the arrival of overseas friends, the wheels were suddenly set in motion. It wasn't long and she was climbing through the clouds above the breathtaking Great Dividing Range. What makes an intelligent person take such a risk?
The thrill of the free-fall. Hold that thought...
Thank You Mr Spielberg
Ever since Jaws, I've been spooked by dark, deep water. The underwater shots of legs frantically treading water would send my brainwaves into back flips, gluing me to shallow water as I mentally calculated how many centimetres of water a shark would physically need to survive in, near the shoreline. Dumb, I know. As I grew older I ventured out further but I was always ready to bolt (like the cartoon characters do above the ground before taking off,) back to the beach if required. So when we went swimming as a family yesterday at the broadwater on the Gold Coast, little did I know that my bravery or rather, the resident fear I'd accommodated all these years, was about to be challenged.
The Moment of Reckoning
There are shark nets situated around our tranquil swimming spot for the simple fact that sharks have often been spotted in the area. Way out past the middle is a pontoon where swimmers dive or lay out in the sun to dry. Because of the whole Jaws scenario, I was never remotely interested in venturing out that far, though my two older boys often did without any kind of issue - until yesterday...
#2 son, aged 10 started freaking out about swimming over to the pontoon and although no one was forcing him, he kept slipping between wanting to and too afraid to. Then, out of my mouth came these words like someone else was speaking them, "I'll come with you." What! I couldn't believe I'd just said that. Say 'no', say 'no'! "OK," he said, his face lighting up. Oh terrific. No backing out now. Da-dum, da-dum (Jaws music).
Facing the Fear
Climbing onto my back, he stuck to me like a limpet as we paddled over. Every time he started talking about seeing shark fins near us (yikes!) I calmly distracted him with the Sea World helicopter flying overhead and the jet boats doing spins out on the broadwater. We made it safely and without any panic attacks (from either of us) and it wasn't long and he was bomb-diving off the pontoon and swimming back to the beach unassisted. (Incidentally, I did not wish to bomb-dive but surprisingly, I wasn't scared either.)
That's when I thought about Alicia and the courage that was present to enable her to do what she really wanted to do. Here are some absolute gems she discovered through her adventure:
- Looking out the window she was certain they were high enough to do the jump but it was only 2,000 ft. They were heading for 14,000ft. If she'd jumped when she thought it was right - she would've died. Don't let your dream die just because your timing was off. LISTEN TO THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE.
- While WAITING to jump, the crew did a fantastic job of keeping the atmosphere electric with excitement and positivity. THE ATTITUDE OF THOSE AROUND YOU MATTERS.
- It's the tandem's responsibility to engage the parachute and ensure you land safely. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO JUMP! Stop trying to figure everything out. Learn as you go.
- Once you've jumped, OPEN YOUR EYES AND ENJOY THE VIEW!
I didn't love it out on the pontoon, but my son did. Swimming out to the pontoon was his free-fall moment but I had to address the fear I had, to enable him to experience the thrill awaiting him. He knew it would be good, that's why he waited and then help arrived. It may not have been quite the same as Alicia plummeting to earth at 200km/hr but it was just as important.
Don't let your life become a slogan for what might've been. Evaluate the risk, seek advice and support from those with experience, take the first step and open your eyes and enjoy the view!
copyright 2010 Philippa Vette
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