Editorial

Taking the Leap

By Chris O’Connell ‘13

            “Welcome to your new addiction.” The carved wooden sign outside the entrance to SkyDiveNewEngland in Lebanon, Maine, looks more like the fingernail scratchings of a crazed lunatic than a friendly greeting.

             Over the summer, I decided to overcome my fear of heights and my fear of splattering against the ground like a watermelon in one day. I was going to go skydiving. It could be that I was still on an adrenaline high after coming back from La Vida, it could be that my summer was getting kind of boring, or it could be that I’m secretly an adrenaline junkie daredevil who doesn’t play by the rules. Whatever the reason, I gathered some close friends and paid the sum of $189.00 to get thrown out of a perfectly good airplane.

So that’s how I found myself standing on an airport tarmac, clutching my terrified beating heart.

 A first group went up while the rest of us signed papers saying that in the event that we died we couldn’t sue, our lawyers couldn’t sue and our relatives couldn’t sue. Then we were introduced to our skydive instructors/partners. Mine was named Matt; a short, bearded fellow in his late twenties who decided that shoes weren’t necessary when jumping out of planes. Why should they be? Matt strapped me into a rope harness that cut off all circulation to my lower half. Matt wore an identical harness except his had the parachute. Which, for all I knew, was filled with linens from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

            Once ready, we were led to a plane that I swear had duct tape on the wings. The plane took us up to 14,000 feet and circled. They opened the door and we watched as two by two, tandem divers leapt into the sky. I was the first of my friends to go. Matt pushed me to the front, told me to hang on and without any warning threw us into the sky.

 Nothing can describe the feeling. Like John Gillspie Magee Jr. said, I put out my hand and touched the face of God. And then I did front flips with God. And then I supermanned across the sky with God. I was not falling to Earth; the Earth was rising to meet me. I would have smiled until I hit the ground but Matt, like a professional, released the parachute before that happened. We floated down gracefully and landed standing up. I gave Matt the biggest hug I’ve ever given another man. I know he appreciated it.

 The point is, two years ago I never would have even considered jumping out of a plane. Even now I’m still terrified of it. But I did it. I took the leap. I took the leap and I will never regret it.

 When I decided to transfer schools and come here to Gordon, I was taking a leap. It could have been an awful decision but it turned out to be a great one. Those who dream big, have to be prepared to fail big. There’s always a chance that you will get burned, but don’t let that keep you from taking chances. Always wanted to study abroad? Take the leap. Thinking about doing La Vida? Take the leap. Want to go skydiving? Definitely take the leap. You will never regret the decision to jump, only how you land.