Free Falling

Celebrating 40 with my favorite future skydivers

So, I think it was last Christmas when Chris first started asking me how I wanted to celebrate my landmark birthday. After giving it some thought, I decided on something involving running. I was specifically thinking of The Hood to Coast Relay in Portland but when my brother David looked into it, he found it was already full--which was just as well really because it would have been incredibly expensive as well as difficult logistically to get all of us out there. As I thought about a substitute, I came up with what I thought was a brilliant plan. I called David, who happened to be at Neil's, and told them both my idea--a 40+ 1 mile family relay race ending at the Woodstock tower. In true David fashion, he immediately jumped to the planning and problem solving without taking even a minute to consider telling me "Um, no". I needed David's help with the race route and hand-off spots so his "yes" was important. And so, one day in late July, the Kreitzer family, minus Neil's crew--who will be with us in spirit as they await the arrival of Kreitzer cousin number 19--will cover 40+ 1 miles on foot. I've asked all of the kids to pledge as many miles as they think they can run. I'm hoping our total mileage is impressive.

So, satisfied with our plan, I drifted along toward June 27th. As the months and days passed, my thoughts often ran to how many days I had left as a 30-something. I don't know why it mattered. I was completely unfazed when I turned 30--this was different though. I'll save ruminations on the passages of life for another day though. For now, I'll tell you the story of the surprising way my birthday unfolded.

On the morning of June 27th, Chris roused the house at 6:30 AM. Being a former Marine, you might expect him to get in our faces and scream things like, "Let's go, let's go, let's go." He's very gentle about it though--so gentle that an hour later, Grace was still sound asleep on the floor and had to be carried out to the van in her pajamas. Jack and Barbara showed up just before we left and we all climbed into our cars and headed in the direction of downtown Houston. I wasn't thinking much about where we were going. If Chris had asked me to guess, I may have said, "the zoo". The truth is though, the kids were poking each other in the back seat and I was feeling a little grumpy.

About an hour after leaving Kingwood, we pulled up to an airplane hangar out in the middle of nowhere. !I think Chris looked over at me and grinned and I just said, "No. Oh no. I am not doing that." Because you see, I have never, ever wanted to skydive. It has never sounded like fun--more like crazy--and I didn't feel like I needed to prove anything by doing it. I didn't make a scene though. I walked calmly into the hangar with our group, still with no intention of jumping. I thought maybe we could watch Chris jump. As it turned out, he had pre-paid for the two of us and as we sat in the office filling out paperwork all about how if we died or were maimed for life, we could under no circumstances sue the skydiving school, I started getting this annoying thought in the back of my mind that I was going to have to jump. First, there was the fact that Chris had gone to the trouble of surprising me on my birthday. Then, all of my smiling daughters were there expecting me to be brave. But mostly, it was just that I did not want to be the person who would walk away from such an adventure. Growing up, I think I had bigger fears than most kids--possibly the product of an overly vivid imagination. I remember standing at the top of the high dive day after day for weeks before finally jumping. I was the polar opposite of a daredevil. What an amazing thing it is to face fear and move past it though. That's when things get interesting. Sunday was like that. I was afraid but excited too. And more than that--curious. We had a lot of time to observe the happenings in the hangar as we waited to jump and the energy and enthusiasm were contagious. I wanted in.

Poor Grace had a moment of clinging to me sobbing that she didn't want me to jump out of an airplane and some of us watched the instructional video that began with another 5 minutes or more of what could happen--failed equipment, pilot and other employee mistakes all leading to death or serious injury and, by the way, "you or your heirs cannot under any circumstances sue Skydive Spaceland". Watching the scene with the ambulance driving away was encouraging. I looked around the room to see if anyone would leave and saw another woman who was jumping for her birthday turn slightly green.

A little later, I met my instructor, Chris, suited up and waited uncomfortably to board the airplane. The plane was, of course, the smallest I've ever been on. We sat with our backs to the metal sides and it was so narrow, I was touching knees with the person across from me. Waiting for take-off, I looked over at the pilot and saw that he was wearing beach attire, no shoes and was eating a Whattaburger. "Hmmm...this is definitely not a good idea", I thought. But by then I had mentally committed. I had to trust--and try not to think about it.

The biggest misgivings I had the whole day came when we took off and I realized, "I am not coming back down in this plane. I am jumping out. I think I need..a Plan B."

The rest of the story is covered by the video Chris purchased for me. I had a videographer following me through the whole process. She jumped at the same time as we did and got the whole thing on film. I'll post a link to it in a few days--after I watch it with the gang at Camp Kreitzer--I need to see their reactions first hand. My mom might need some smelling salts :)

All-in-all, this was probably the best gift Chris has ever given me. I loved it. The whole experience. I was glad Jack and Barbara and the girls were there. I had a terrific instructor who was so confident and fun that he put me at ease. The weather was picture perfect and the gentle ride through the sky beneath the parachute was incredibly peaceful and awesome--in every sense of the word.

We will be back for more. I want to experience a jump without the distraction of a videographer and Chris may do another tandem jump or two in preparation to jump alone--that may be too great a leap for me but, you never know, I've surprised myself before.

No persons or canines were injured on our way in

A quick family photo before boarding the plane. And to you, I leave...

False bravado

The girl who jumped before me and her videographer.

What a view from 14,000 feet!

Here we go

Thumbs up at 120 miles per hour

Here we come. It's a beautiful day to be 40!