ScratchTX 0 #1 September 12, 2003 Funny how skydiving can do that. I'm all set to go to my FIRST boogie (nope, I'm not bringing beer to a boogie, sorry!) next weekend. Tentative plans to go out there with another woman I'd just met recently didn't pan out, so it's just me, my tent, my car, my low-level skills, my eccentricities, and my excitement. I've been skydiving four years but with the exception of a Skydive U. training camp, have not expanded my horizons much at all. It's easy to start feeling "old." To tell myself that it's silly to get nervous about going out to a new place myself, since I am after all a grown-ass adult. After all, I've traveled on my own quite a bit, camped on my own, perfectly capable of taking care of myself, etc., So I'll act all adult and sage and stuff, and end up actually not doing too much new or outside my comfort zone -- since I've decided that if it's so silly for my comfort zone to be so surprisingly small, it must NOT really be that small, so I don't need to push it. But really, the teenager in me finds that my comfort zone includes that nervousness, that first-day-of-class excitement, that wondering how I'll fit in and what the other kids will be like and what the lunchroom for seniors will look like and... Pretending to be all adult and adjusted and past all that really takes the fun out of it. And the best part of getting to feel like a teenager again when you're not is that you can actually apply those 30 years of post-teen experience to ease some of the stuff that was so raw and difficult and new when you were 15. I always believed in "never getting old," "keeping young at heart," etc. etc. - and really, my life looks very much that way on the outside. But I always thought of that just in terms of the obviously positive playful things -- skydiving, running down hills, not being stuffy and boring, etc. I always thought that "feeling like a kid" in terms of nervousness, self-doubt, etc. was just a BAD thing. but really, it's part of the whole package and is pretty freaking fun, too. Reminds me of what life is really all about, reminds me that I am really alive. So yah, I'm going to the AOT Memorial boogie and I'm nervous and excited and looking forward to it and if you see a little skinny quiet middle-aged person wearing a big bubble head ProTec-ish helmet and an old rig and a smile, that would be me! Looking forward to meeting and jumping with some of the dropzone.com people there (not to mention the Casa jumps!) eek getting excited and nervous again, what fun -- --Scratch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
beanne 0 #2 September 12, 2003 hey Scratch! i'll be there too, with Chivo and Flypunk. i really know what you mean about the nervousness that comes with anticipating something new, and tackling the unknown. yes, it's good for the soul. Chivo just had his 30th birthday today, and i was trying to explain to him that 30s are waaaay better than 20s, and your comment about having years of experience to apply to those new situations is right on target, summing up why we just keep enjoying life more. it just keeps getting more fun! so, i'll be the one saying hi and pestering every small middle age woman at the boogie! i have a royal blue/black full jump suit, blond hair, red helmet, jumping w/ 2 handsome guy-friends, one of whom is *finally* in his 30-ies ;) yeeeehaaaw, see you in the blue above Tejas! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chivo 0 #3 September 12, 2003 Holy cow! Is this your FIRST post??? Sweet! At least we know who's buying the beer! Edit to add: Hey Scratch! We'll see ya there! Unfortunately I can't fly belly (skydive U would help), nor sit (where are the coaches?), and definetly not head down. But I bet you'll enjoy jumping with Beanne and Pier... and, as a bonus... you get to watch me flail and cork! ~Chivo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScratchTX 0 #4 September 13, 2003 Cool, looks like we can get a bunch of smaller middle aged women together on a load! And younger guests of all genders, too, of course... Should be fun! --Scratch Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
