Yes, the Hawkins family went skydiving. By far, the most insane thing we've ever done. Now a lot of people I know say (aka THINK) that this is one thing they want to do before they die. It's like a huge goal of theirs. I admit I am definitely a TO-DO list kind of person. However, I am not and have never been one of those people who have sky diving on their to-do list. Oh-I like taking risks and experiencing new things. I happen to consider myself quite the thrill seeking, Type A personality. But for some reason, skydiving has just always scared the begeebers out of me, as Matthew would say. I just don't see the point of it...perfectly good plane...oh, you've heard that before? This is one way that I think you COULD die, but it is not how I WANT to die nor a goal to do BEFORE I die. This being said, it was I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E.It all started with Matt's mom turning 50. Ms. Sherrie's birthday is right after Christmas. Often overlooked, definitely overshadowed with all the holiday and family celebrations. This year she knew she wanted to do something very memorable, and that sadly, she would pretty much have to plan it herself--then someone at her church recommended this. When she first mentioned it to us, we kind of laughed it off and didn't give it much thought. Yeah right. Then she brought it up again, and said we could all do it together, and that's when I really had a good laugh. She was serious!? (Does she really think she'd have the guts to do this? I mean, maybe Matt and Jonathon would do it, but not the rest of us. I was NOT worried. It would never REALLY happen...) Well, before we knew it, a couple months of discussion turned into checking the internet for details--times, prices, etc...(is it even possible to go skydiving in South Carolina in Dec.? Wouldn't it be freezing way up there? Yes, and YES.) Then came finding a dropzone close enough. And after we'd gotten all the information and watched the promo video on-line, it basically came down to two thoughts of Matt's--#1) "I don't think mom will do it, she'll probably chicken out, she's all talk...but there is NO chance that I'm letting my MOM do something so crazy without me...if she's gonna do it, then I'm doing it. I would NEVER live this one down!" and #2) Hey, sermon material. So.....peer pressure, that's all it really was. None of us wanted to be out-lived. If Jon and Jess are doing it, we're doing it. We don't want them to be cooler than us! So game on. (Mr. Tommy never showed an interest in doing it and Leah was only 17, so she couldn't do it either. Sorry, Leah.)
The day after Christmas, Dec. 26, 2004, we attended first service church at Midland Valley. I gotta say I think we all had a very spiritual day--nothing left unsaid between Jesus and me when I know I'm gonna be jumping out of a plane in a few hours! We grabbed lunch and nervously drove the 2 1/2 hours over into Georgia to the dropzone we had connected with--a little tiny airport outside of a little tiny town. We had our thermal long johns, gloves, wool socks (I felt like I was going skiing!) cameras, and last will-and-testiments ready. Once we arrived at the "airport" we all got a whole lot more nervous. It was nothing, we almost drove past it. Just a hangar, a parking lot, and a strip of concrete they called the runway. Previous to our arrival, we had been told that they weren't sure how many lead jumpers they would have show up the day after Christmas to take new jumpers. Probably 2 or 3. So we knew we might have to go in 2 groups. Well, when we got there, a plane was getting ready to go up in 15 min. with 5 or 6 other experienced jumpers. Everyone else was ready and had already prepared. They had room for one, and only one, novice jumper. Ms. Sherrie went first. Without so much as a thought, she said she wanted to get it over with before she chickened out. So she had to go by herself, in a plane full of strangers-and experienced jumpers-at that. A flurry of paperwork underway and a short video taught you everything you could possibly need to know. She didn't even get to watch the video. She got into her jumpsuit, shook hands with her leader, and they were pretty much off... 15 min. later she was on the ground. She did awesome. We were all so proud.
Then came the bad news--the weather didn't look so good. They may not be able to take up more than one more group before it got too windy. And they only had 2 lead jumpers. When you go skydiving for the first time you do what's called piggy-back--a new jumper gets attached to an experienced, "licensed" jumper and you use just 1 parachute/backpack. You are in front, and you'll be on the bottom as you fly towards the earth. So they are literally riding piggy-back to you. Talk about up close and personal. After quite the discussion, Jess and Jonathon insisted that Matt and I go first. They said that they would probably do it on a different date if they didn't get to do it today, and I had to admit that if I didn't do it now when we were only 5 min. from suiting up, I may never get up the guts again. After watching his mom and getting all prepared for it, Matt really wanted to do it. So, Matthew and I suited up next. We felt very guilty taking the next turn, but thankful to get it over with and not have to wait any more. Getting suited up was kind of fun. Leah and Jess took pictures and we are so thankful because we didn't even have a camera with us. Our walk to the plane was like an out of body experience. Looking at the pictures after the fact felt like watching the astronauts walk to their shuttle, or the men on the movie Armageddon--it was eerie. Even with the adrenaline rushing, I was scared to death. I don't mind admitting in this blog how I felt. It was a TINY plane, and like 12 people crowded on board. There was "room" for maybe half of us, comfortably. We felt like illegal aliens crammed in a van. Is that bad to say?! Ever ridden in a log ride at an amusement park, where your legs are nearly wrapped around the person in front of you? Yeah, that was it--wierd. The plane ride up took 10 or 15 min. You could feel the plane circling in order to gain altitude. The closer we got to jump time the more nervous I got. I don't even remember what I was thinking, except "what in the world were we thinking!" My piggy back guy was telling me some last minute reminders--I didn't hear any of them. I was screaming inside--maybe out loud, who knows. Then the door flew open and everyone started jumping out. It all happened so fast, but so slowly. I can't say that my whole life passed before my eyes--more like I felt like I would pass out. All the experienced jumpers went first. We were last. Matt went right in front of me. I will never forget the view of his body falling out of the plane right before my very eyes. That was the last I saw of him till we landed. Now he's here, now he's GONE. The rocking motion you do at the door to the plane as you count 1-2-3 is NOTHING like rocking in a rocking chair as a baby. The only thing that got me out of the door of that plane was the 200 lb. guy on my back. They had told us that once you get IN the plane, there is no backing out. You can't ride the plane back to the ground-you're committed. Good thing, cause my mind wasn't letting me move at all. There was no jumping when it came to me. No sky- diving, just... sky falling.
The 4 minutes that it takes to travel to the ground is ridiculously difficult to explain. The first 10,000 feet you are free falling, traveling up to 120 mph. When you first exit the plane, you keep your arms in close--with in 10 or 15 seconds, you open your arms and legs and they literally FLY back behind you--belly to the ground, wind smacking you in the face. At the strongest speeds, the wind is so strong you don't really even feel it, just the skin on your face pressed up against your ears and forehead. You can't move. After about 3 min. the parachute cord(s) is pulled, and that is when you begin to feel life again. That first and sudden slow down is what makes many people sick to their stomach, and then the last minute or two is kinda nice, like one would think floating to the ground feels like. Of course your harness is jerking into your insides and as the blood rushes back into your body, you feel kind of queasy--thirsty, cotton mouth, brain freeze, etc.. But you can actually enjoy the view again and pilot the chute a bit if you want. The landing is supposedly quite tricky, and happens very quickly--the ground seems far off and then all of sudden boom, you're there. We stuck our landing...until the wind caught our chute and knocked us off our feet backwards. The feeling of being on the ground again and having my husband run over to me and attack me with a huge hug that sent us to the ground was the best feeling of the whole day.
Turned out that Matt and I were the last trip of the day--the wind got so strong they couldn't take another trip up. But the Hawkins returned the next day to see Jessica and Jonathon take their turn in this thrilling adventure. Even worse than what we did, on Monday the company was running an even smaller plane and the two of them actually had to jump separately--first one in the plane, then the other. I could not have been more thankful that Matt and I went the first day--there's no way I would have been able to do it with out knowing that Matthew was right there with me. Jessica was much stronger than I would have been! This was definitely the coolest thing we've ever done, and I must say that we may be taking another jump one of these days soon. Leah claims she still wants to go...Now that I know what to expect, I think the second time could only be that much more incredible. I'm just a little bit nervous that one more trip--without the nerves--could lead to an addictive hobby.
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