(IF FEAR DOES NOT GET IN THE WAY)
Just before I was married at 32 my life was an intense whirlwind of work, rock climbing almost every weekend, and skating and martial arts during the week. I met my ex during a public skating session and a new whirlwind began. I was married nine moths later and my first daughter was born ten months after the marriage. Between two very demanding careers and raising two wonderful daughters there was no time for much else for the next 22 years.
During this time my old climbing partner and still very good friend Pete took up hang gliding. He became very good at it as in launching from mountain tops and flying on thermals for both hours and tens of miles. Just last weekend he had a Red Tail Hawk fly feet from his wing tip for a few minutes. I have always had a fear of heights but it did not prevent me from rock climbing hundreds of feet off the ground. I am hoping it will not keep me from serious hang gliding thousands of feet off the ground either. I will have to follow my heart and see how things go. I am lucky that I will have Pete to guide my progressive learning.
I have a feeling that this will be another activity that will capture my soul:
High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds...and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of...wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
Sounds like a lot fun and I bet you'll have a blast, fear of heights or not. Just like when I went paragliding and my guide told me to run down the mountain (until we took off or fell off). Being up in the air like that didn't give me the same uneasy feeling as being on my feet on exposed terrain. I loved every second of it!!
ReplyDelete