Black Crows Can't Fly

[Trae 1]

Black Crows amoungst the Black Sheep..or ...Daeth threats and other abberations to get to know and love.

This is a bit of sharing as regards some real life experiences had by little Trae.
I realise my stuff is nothing new or uncommon but as this is a skydivers forum and I’m a skydiver (however part time ) I feel that perhaps I can share this here and vent some angst .
This is also in the hope that any others who have had similar experiences will be further empowered to feel that it’s not always the ‘baddies’ that win the day.
As to any ‘seek professional psychiatric help’ type advices ...you’re missing the point ...ie you’d be off topic in my opinion and way too late anyway.


The topic here is about what happens to some of us out here not necessarily how to deal with it on a personal or otherwise level.
I’m hoping that some of you may see some of the more eccentric amoungst us in a more compassionate & understanding light. You know the ones I mean.... the ones that don’t seem to fit into the often clicky crowd .

The black crows amoungst the black sheepies.


Story time with Uncle Trae

As a child growing up in a working class neighbourhood in a sizeable city the concept of threatening others life and livelihood was not a new one. Stealing back stolen toys and dodging attacks from older people was par for the course before school age. Getting held up on the way to kindy school for your lunch or mince money was an accepted every day occurance.( you learn to dodge & yeah at least we got fed.... usually ) Opposing families were organised in ’milk money’ gangs and used their children as run arounds picking up any left out items or encouraging them to pick things up from their ‘friends’ houses or back yards.( lucky weren’t we having a yard to be stolen from)

My father was heavily involved in a political party . While he slept at night I got to answer the late night calls . These consisted mainly of the silent treatment but as time progressed they got more inventive. The whistle and returned silences on my part also got more inventive as the years went by (out freak the freakers). After the first couple of calls these went unreported as my father wasn’t interested as he dealt with these types on a face to face basis at his workplace and during his leisure moments. I felt good saving my family from the sordid details dished out at nite over the phone. As a child I found it perplexing that what I was being taught at school appeared to have little relationship to what was happening outside school.


Got to look forward to the nite callers knowing that out there somewhere some-one or gang of some-ones wished my family harm as a constant expression of their consciousness. These people were our so called ‘country-men’. As I grew older I got to get a bit of shovin’ and did a bit of shovin’ back. Older still and the shovin’ turned to shivin’. Getting shot by slug guns replaced the rock throwing and sling-shotting and then bullets started flying. A broken tooth or two became a slug in the eye turned into bullets past your ears. Sit in the wrong chair or get pissed in the wrong company and you’d wear it . In a crowd it was always good to know who your friends were and to keep them kinda close . Often if you got lost you could find your friends later at the hospital. You also learnt to follow your intuition.. A bit of eye contact with the wrong person and... ....I learnt to run when I had to especially when the circus was in town.

Over time the naughtier children killed or neutered themselves off with datura or heroin and the air got a bit clearer. My running abilities turned into bike riding skills .

Then I discovered skydiving and parachuting.
The older people at the DZ presented as an eccentric collection of beautiful people. It took years for me to realise it but they actually cared for me. Amoungst these carers were one or two that I recognised as uncaring. Whenever something went missing (a rarity) me or one of my skybuddies knew exactly who it was who had done it. Proving it or catching them at it was another thing. Dealing with these perpetraitors was another sometimes fun event. (Burnt hair really stinks). I got to see mature adults keeping their nest clean and not on an irrational intoxicated basis.

Our DZ had had it’s share of accidents and fatalities (mainly attributable to poor equipment used perhaps inappropriately ) and as a reaction to these had become a very safety conscious but still hugely fun place to skydive. The DZ had as assets some very knowledgable and experienced people from all walks of life .

It was the Vietnam Vets who had some of the best safety attitudes to share. Some of these guys were (are?) still very active . I once saw a bloke defuse a situation without anyone really knowing what had happened.They didn’t even see him move in but he’d given me a little’ watch this’ wink before he did his thing.
We were all so lucky to have such people looking after us.

The thing that bound us all together was the CARE which was shown to anyone who obviously loved skydiving enough to tolerate the sometimes rough environment. This care was not dished out selectively (unless you thieved or abused) . You liked to skydive and didn’t hurt anyone you got cared for.

From my experiences at the DZ I learnt that life was not just populated by people who couldn’t give a rats...’ . Friends I made that I didn’t even know I had have popped up throughout my life with the common denominator being Skydiving and caring for each other .

For me the two go together hand in hand. Skydiving & caring. Being truthful also helps raise awareness levels.

It has been worrying on occassion as a slightly more mature person to see some of the ‘new’/old behaviour that has become acceptable in some spheres of our sport. I’ve visited DZ’s where skydiving took second (4th?) place to drink ,drug and women taking. At these places the atmosphere of fear while actually skydiving can sometimes get overpowering .
I’ve seen heaps of skydivers so psyched out they’d ride down in the plane. Being physically threatened on the way to height by complete strangers is an experience I would not wish on anyone.


I put this down a bit to the coming of age of the ‘Point Break’ generation. Sure such things went on before but I’ve noticed a major increase in such ‘carefree’ ‘careless’ behaviour...often without any balancing influences. I suppose care means different things to different people just like love can.

A fair proportion of younger more ambitious skydivers appear to think they’re playing skittles...with the safety conscious older people as the targets. When this happens the same old mistakes get made with new divets and new bounce holes appearing as if by magic. Only once have I had some-one come back to me and say “ You were right and I didn’t see it coming.” This guy bounced one of his mates by encouraging him not to listen to ‘that woosy guy’. Usually they’re in hospital or too ashamed or pained to say anything

What a lot of younger people don’t seem to realise is that some of us older more caring types only got to know what we 'care to share' by learning the hard way. Having done so and survived so far it has turned into a subsport for me to try and prevent others from making the same old mistakes. If I can...at least I’ll have a go. Sometimes that’s all it takes. Often you get mocked for being’ too caring’. I find it hard now not to say something as I’ve seen too often what happens when nothing is said due to not wanting to appear like a nagger or puffball.


I know I’m nothing special .. perhaps just a bit lucky on occassion ..that’s the only reason I’m still alive and having this little chat. I know that amoungst us are people that are heaps more lucky to be here than me given the extreme nature of their (your) experiences. Good on yous by the way ..fate or destiny ...yeah right ...more like luck, pure determination to NOT be the victim and sheer survival skills in amoungst 'IT' .. Bugger all pre-emptive striking by the way.

Can you say out loud ” NO WAY-- I’M NOT GUNNA DIE--- NOT THIS TIME” and really mean it.?
This little affirmation has enabled (empowered) me to survive quite a few potentially lethal situations within and outside the world of skydiving.
Having a well grounded belief in ‘higher’ powers is also a handy tool.

Wobbly ranty rave perhaps but it’s been good to share a tiny bit however irrelevant this may appear to some of you. For those that can see this for what its been ‘may the power of share & care shine on you forever’
.
For the rest of you ....get back in line.




edited for JPG attachment.