If you were to die tomorrow what would you do today? Would you have the courage to do the things you always wanted to do? Perception is everything to me and with the right mindset I was able to accomplish the one thing I thought I could never do, sky dive.

It was a warm summer day in June, right after my senior year of high school, when my best friend Billy called. He asked me if I would jump out of a plane with him and five of my friends that following Sunday. I let him know that I was interested and millions thoughts went racing through my head as I consented. Suspense began to build through out the week as I prepared my mind for Sunday’s events. When Saturday night rolled around I knew I needed to tell my parents what would take place the following day. They were both extremely worried, but respected my decision and vowed to pray for my safety. The next morning I awoke with the sun’s radiant light shining though my window. I smiled because I knew the weather was perfect for the jump.

I almost broke my neck running down the stairs to get a little nourishment before I left to meet my friends. I could not sit still. I felt like I had just kissed a girl for the very first time. I was as brief as I could be saying goodbye to my parents. “It will be safe Mom, don’t worry I’m a big boy now. I’ll be home for dinner.” I said as I drove down the driveway. Out into the wooded, grassy parts of Raleigh I headed where my friends were waiting for me so we could act like super-heroes for the afternoon.

I rendezvoused with my amigos and rode west, to Carolina Ski sports the best sky diving center in the state. As we entered the blue-sided building I was amazed to that the walls were filled with pictures of thousands of skydivers who had risked their lives before me. Their chutes were brilliantly colored; pearly white, blazing orange, fiery red, plumb purple, along with other captivating colors of the rainbow. My confidence rose as I signed a few papers and listened intently to the pre-dive video and hands on briefing. The instructors were very informative; putting some of my concerns to rest.

Pulling my nylon jump suit up over my shoulders I felt a surge of energy rush over me, goose bumps rolled up my back. “I am ready to go, let’s do this!” I insisted. The instructor continued to suit himself and adorned me with the safety harness that connected us both to the parachute. This was my favorite piece of parachute because it was the only thing that kept me from smashing into the ground at one hundred and twenty miles per hour. From the very first time I decided to sky dive, thoughts of being splattered on the pavement frequently crossed my mind. Pushing these thoughts from my mind I walked out to the flight strip where we were met by the rest of my friends, whom were also excited and full of adrenalin. The smell of diesel entered my nostrils as the propellers on the twelve passenger plane started to spin, about to take us into the heavens. Upon entering the plane I was introduced to Olga; she had a bright red helmet with a top of the line camcorder attached to the top. She would film my decent on for the entire world to see on what is now my most valuable VHS. Olga commented jokingly, “So, Chris why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane for no reason.” After thinking about it for a moment I replied, “It’s just how I want to live my life, no fear!” The plane began to move forward faster and faster, my heart leaped into my stomach as we left the ground. How could I ever be the same after accomplishing my biggest fear? I glanced out the plane’s round porthole I saw the ground through big white cotton ball clouds. The earth’s surface was a road map; the multi-colored ground was a sea of color that I was about to dive into. Without warning the green light turned on, signaling that it was okay to begin jumping. The door swung open with a loud bang as cold wind rushed into the cabin. I shivered, but I don’t think it was because of the temperature at fourteen thousand feet. I was the first to go, my senses shifted in to high gear as if I was in a car about to crash into a brick wall. The instructor and I moved into the open door simultaneously as Olga started taping. The wind stung as it whipped past me, I was on the edge of the rest of my life, about to jump. “One, two, three” shouted the instructor as we leaped out into the atmosphere. My whole body screamed, “What are you doing?” as I began my free fell. My face was plastered as I saw the roundness of our earth, my mouth hung open as the detail of the earth increased as the seconds passed. I could only use my mouth for a parachute as I plummeted toward the earth. My entire life flashed before my eyes, o well, I was having the time of my life. Superman himself could not have felt the rush of emotion that flowed over on my first flight to earth. The parachute exploded, mounting us in the sky like an ornament carefully hung on a Christmas tree. With the chute open I felt secure again as I soared toward the ground like an eagle coming in to land on his high perch.

My perception changed that day, as I looked up at the beautiful blue sky that I had fallen from. I landed on a different planet, a world that was fresh, exciting, and uncharted; just waiting for me to discover it. I now have a new passion for life, and will always cherish the day I fell from the sky. It was one of many milestones in my life, signifying my independence and willingness to live an above average life. It also reminds me of my achievements and all that I have the ability to accomplish. To some, one jump is not a big deal, however it’s facing your fears and living full throttle that makes life worth living. The most valuable lesson I learned from facing my fears was to seize the day and live every day as if it was your last.

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