Frustration

[fred 0]

Some background for those who don't know it. I'm on a static line course at Great Lakes Skydivers in Gobles, Michigan. It's been a blast, and I'm determined to stay with it.
But I am getting frustrated.
I know I'm uncoordinated. I'm not athletic, and really have no sense of my own body position. I'm clumsy (Hell, I walk into walls while I'm sober!). This doesn't serve as a good base to learn skydiving. I certainly didn't expect to cruise through the program; I knew I'd have hang-ups. But I expected that I'd eventually get the hang of it.
So after my 5 static lines (including 3 flawless practice pulls), I did my first 5-second freefall, and I fell even more in love with this activity. Those couple extra seconds were amazing, but I probably don't need to tell y'all that.
Then my 10 seconds came. On my first 10 second fall, I chipped and dolphed (sp? I haven't actually read this term on dz.com, but it's like chipping, but head-to-tow instead of side to side), and did some (unintentional) slight turns.
When I got down to the ground, I got loads of advice ("After the first few seconds, bend your knees a bit", "After the first few seconds, bring your arms down a bit", "Arch Hard!", "Relax!").
When I went up for my second 10 second fall, I did all of the above (well, okay, except relaxing... that's hard to do). It didn't go well. I wobbled, started bending my knees, brought my arms in, and ... well ... had a really hard opening. The saddest part about that jump is, while I was falling trying to find this damn position where I'd fall stable, while realizing that I was trying every snippet of advice I'd heard, I completely forgot to count. Realizing that I wasn't counting and had no idea what altitude I was at, I pulled. JM told me he had counted to 4. :(
Okay... wait a few days, and jump again. Third attempt at my first 10 second didn't go well, but went better than my first two. I chipped a little, and was in a slight spin (about 90 degrees during my 10 seconds). The JM went ahead and passed me for my second 10.
And the second 10 was beautiful. I let go of the wing, watched it fall away and as my belly went down, I saw the clouds. Out a ways from the DZ, some really low clouds were rolling in. The DZO says they were about 700ft up. I just stared overtop of them. I wasn't turning, wasn't wobbling, and ... well... I wish I knew what I had done. It was such a beautiful sight.
If only I knew what I'd done. Well, I know what I did, I just didn't want (refused to?) lose the moment. Unfortunately, I have no idea what my body was doing. I think that this jump was the one and only time that all my rehearsals on the ground and that "muscle memory" came into play. Unfortunately, without having that horizon of clouds, I can't recreate it.
See, after that jump, I moved on to my 15s. This past tuesday, I did my first. I was chipping and turning the whole way down, and couldn't stop it. I just could not recreate that smooth freefall that I'd experienced. Fail the jump, and have to repeat it. No biggie at that point. I went ahead and manifested for my second.
That one went surprisingly well. I let go of the plane, started a slight turn to the left and stopped it (somehow). At about 10 seconds, I remember the other thing I was told to practice, which is glancing at the altimeter. I did, and everything went to shit.
I'm sure that I brought my arm forward when I looked (which I know is very wrong), but my whole body dove to the left and I started into a spin. I tried to stop it, but failed. I resumed chipping, dolphing, and spinning, until pulltime came. I'm told that I would have passed the jump if it weren't for the mishap at the end.
So today I woke up early, prepared to get 3-4 jumps in at the DZ (I did some financial finagling to make that happen). I took my third first attempt at a 15 second delay, wobbled and turned.
On my second jump today, I wobbled more and entered into a pretty fast spin. I've now got a bruise on my thigh that is bigger than my head. My biceps are bruised pretty badly, and I've got big bruises on my forearms (!). I had line twists all the way down the risers that were continuing to get worse when I was under full canopy (push risers, kick kick kick).
On the positive side, I'm pretty comfortable spotting the plane, and can guide myself pretty close the peas with minimal assistance (though I think I'm flairing a bit late and a bit slowly, I'm still able to run 'em out). So the under-canopy thing is progressing fine, but my freefall is just sucking.
I look good on paper. I can arch on the ground, both standing and on my belly, and people say it's a great arch. But in the air, I just lose it, or it's just not working like it's supposed to (Perhaps I'm subject to a unique set of physical laws?).
So I guess what I'm looking for is any input you could have. Feed me lots of advice on arching, specifically good ways of practicing an arch on the ground. Talk to me about turning/stopping turns, since the instruction I've received is basically "Here's a good start. Nobody really knows how they do it, but you'll figure it out."
And mainly, I want to hear from others who've had problems learning. I can't be alone. So tell me when you got frustrated as a student.
I don't want to give this up, but right now I'm feeling like maybe I'm not cut out for anything more than hop&pops. Which is fun, but I'm really looking forward to all the other wonderful things that freefall has to offer.

[lazide 0]

Hey Fred. Just to let you know, I am too learned S/L, and am currently on jump 31. :)
I had even worse issues getting stable then you did for awhile (hard to believe, but possible. ;) ) including kicking, standing up, etc.
I was getting frustrated, and nothing anyone told me helped. I too had a great arch on the ground.
Do you know what the problem was?
RELAXING!
Don't get worked up about it (haha), don't freak out when you start doing something wrong. Just relax, take a deep breath, arch, and look at the horizon.
I can almost guarantee your stability problems will go away. mine did!
AND SMILE DAMNIT! :)

[Slink 0]

Don't feel so bad I survived my 18th skydive last wednesday but tripped on a damn dog bone on the ground! The key might be to show up so tired that your looking forward to that relaxing freefall time, worked for me...(hope for no malfucntion of course) God damn Railroad life!

[Michele 1]

Hey, Fred.
O.K., so I had the same frustrations, and more. I grew a brain in my right arm; it did it's own thing there, for a while. I had to dump a jump because I was spinning too badly in a floppy jumpsuit and couldn't see my alti. Spinning so fast I couldn't see the JM's or the vid guy's alti, either. Pulled somewhere like 6, when I was supposed to be pulling at 4.5. I have had paralyzing door fear. I literally vomited before one jump (at least not while I in the air). I am scared of heights, of planes, and of falling. I can't stand looking out of the door when I go up to alti. I had a cut away on my 3rd jump. I repeated several levels. I rode the plane down. I was once so scared I froze at the gate, and then I walked to the plane backwards so I could get on the damn plane.
You are not alone.
I wanted to quit, too. In fact, I did quit - for the day. I walked off the peas, stomped my foot, and just told Ed, that's it, I am not cut out for this, I quit. He let me quit, for about, what, 3 seconds? I think everyone goes through a point where they want to quit. At least most of the folks I talked to had wanted to. But you're not a quitter, Fred. You wouldn't have gotten out of the plane the first time if you had.
You are NOT alone in your feeling. You are learning to fly, and, well, that's not something which is altogether easy, y'know? And don't compare yourself to those people who whiz right through the program. Comparison is useless. Everyone learns at their own pace. You and your body are different from everyone else. No matter. Just keep learning. At your pace. In your time.
How about trying some suggestions posted about practicing your arch over on the Training forum, under "stable box position". And then, when you get in the air, relax. Relax. Smile, and just let yourself fall. Stop thinking, and just do what you know how to do. Trust yourself that you do know what to do. You have done it already, you know how to do it. Have a bit of confidence in yourself. Just because the bad things happened once doesn't mean it will automatically happen again.
I was talking to a very old skydiver (he has like 10,000 jumps) today, as I was going to alti. He told me I was using my brain too much, and it all turns to shit when you think too hard. It becomes HUA syndrome (Head Up Ass). I find it is difficult to enjoy the view when my head is up my ass. When I am in the air, that's the only place I can be - not in my mind, not thinking about the opening, or about the canopy ride. I have to keep my mind in freefall when my body is, and then transition both body and mind together to the next part of the jump.
It's NOT easy. But it's also not impossible. If I can do this, Fred, you have no worries.
Give yourself a break, trust yourself, have confidence in yourself, and the rest will follow.
Ciels-
Michele
"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky".
~e e cummings~

[mouth 0]

Fred,
I agree 100% with Michele. (Great minds think alike.) If you can relax it will come together for you. Easier said than done, I know. I didn't do static line (I did AFF) but I can relate to the stuck on stabiity syndrome. I did level 4 AFF 3 times, did the tunnel, did a relaxation dive and then finally redid 4 and passed it. Just keep trying and don't give up. I just got my D license yesterday so you can overcome it...I'm proof.
SMILE lots it helps you relax.
Lisa

[Julie 0]

Hi Fred
I also did (am doing) static line. I am a total and complete klutz and can really relate to walking into doors and walls while sober, sad but true. I had an incredibly difficult time getting the flare thing down. I really wanted to quit and talked to the guys at the DZ about it. Finally took a few days off and really worked on my landings and got it figured out. Then came more time in freefall. I was the absolute queen of the wild spin and couldn't figure out what I was doing. I also have a habit of bringing my legs up too far and backsliding. Anyway, after wandering around with a pole across my back and playing like an airplane on the ground, I made a jump with my instructor holding me. I finally got the feel of being stable and am beginning to "get" how to really control turns. One thing that really helped for me was the extra time in freefall. At first, it is such a short time, I felt rushed to get good and stable. As I got a bit more time, things smoothed out a lot. I can actually relax and smile in freefall which is something I thought they were being a bit unreal to be telling us all to do...yeah, right. But hey, it works!
I also would spin when I first went to a wrist alti. I was turning to look with my shoulders. To help with this, I was given both a wrist and chest-mounted one. That way, I could use either one for a couple of jumps. That also helped.
Don't give up. As everyone has said, I think most people have thought about it. As Michele said, I too am afraid of heights and REALLY don't like the plane, but after getting 60 seconds of freefall...it is really worth it!
Hang in there...you can do it!
Have Fun
Julie

[Jumperpaula 0]

Fred: You got some GREAT ADVICE here. I find the most help to me is to relax and smile. I breath deep on the way to altitude, give myself the "relax sign" in the plane, then force a big grin right before exit. It helps me to remember that this is FUN, and somehow helps me think clear.
I also would recommend a book called "The Art of Freefall RW" by Pat Works. The first few chapters cover the "angle of attach" of the relative wind on your body. Somehow, after doing then reading then visualizing, all the physics made more sense. I started to realize my body position in the air more. Although written in the 70's the information on freefall is timeless. I also enjoyed the heritage of the sport by some of the older references and terms. Like "during Relative Work, at least one person should have a working altimeter"...
btw, I quit for the first time after jump 19. I was sure I would never get it. I never quit for very long.
Fly Your Slot !

[Iflyme 0]

Michele...

Quote

I am scared of heights, of planes, and of falling.

From reading your wonderful posts, I think it would be more accurate to say you "were" afraid of those things,Remember, Fred - flying is for the birds! That's why it is tough for us humans to get the hang of it... but if you stick with it, it will come! And before you know it, you will be doing "intentional" turns, flips, barrel rolls, then you'll start jumping with your new friends from the DZ... It'll come together for you -- just don't give up! (and whoever said "relax" nailed it --- just lay on the wind, and let it form your body to the proper shape)

[Zennie 0]

Couple random thoughts just to supplement what has already been said.
Definitely relaxation is the key. I spent some time in the wind tunnel when I was a student and it turned out that my arms and legs were fine but I wasn't relaxing my hips.
The problem with freefall (actually skydiving in general) is that it's sort of like riding a bike. You'll struggle & struggle and then one day "ping!". It just clicks. I had one of those moments last weekend after struggling with head-down for weeks.
You may be focusing too much of "relax this" or "relax that". That implies tension. Naturally do whatever your teacher tells you, and this may sound weird, but you may want to try focusing on something other than "relaxing". In particular, try to place your attention on doing the tasks at hand. If that doesn't help maybe try focusing on your breathing a little. But whatever you do, don't lose altitude awareness. So you could even focus on your alti.
I know... easier said than done. But maybe if you get your mind off "relaxing" you naturally relax.
If you live anywahere near a vertical wind tunnel (i.e. Orlando, Pigeon Forge, or Vegas) I highly recommend it.
Also, I know you're doing static line, but maybe you can look into transferring into an AFF or AFP program? You'll have people jumping with you and they may be able to do a little "hands on" help.
Just some ideas.
--------
Zennie
"I know the pieces fit. 'Cause I watched them fall away..."
--Tool

[Snowflake 0]

Dude don't feel bad let me tell you I failed my aff level 3 for not pulling at 5k. I consistently stood up and flailed my exits on all my AFF jumps. I just stopped swimming my exits(or as my DZO puts it "he's of to the races") and I'm on jump 40. Was doing slow turns till level 6 especially on the bottom of the dive, cause I was tensing up. Plus I think you S/L guys have it harder because you get much less time in free fall per jump and so don't get as much into muscle memory. Stick with it and it will come. Remember when you learned things in the past you usually got to practice for at least an hour at a time now your trying to learn something in 15 second increments, so at this point you have like 3 minutes in freefall. It took you a couple of years for you to learn how to walk, so I would suggest giving yourself a little more time then 3 minutes before you say "I can't do this". I truly believe you can and I don't know you. as for turns when you dip your right arm you'll go right same goes for left (this assumes your legs are even and stable). when you looked at your alti you probably tried to do it like it was a watch and brought your left hand in which induced a left turn. Also if you look in a direction you will tend to go that way. Practice looking at your alti on the ground make sure all your doing is twisting your wrist and turning your head just enough to see it(have someone expirienced watch you do this the first few times). as has been said relaxation is key make sure your smiling weird as it seems this seems to be something almost everyone agrees on. The first jump I smiled on was awesome it was like getting over the hump from then on it was all good. Hope this didn't muddy the waters to much. good luck and be safe
If it was easy everyone would do it
JG

[Milo 0]

Fred Said:
I know I'm uncoordinated. I'm not athletic, and really have no sense of my own body position. I'm clumsy (Hell, I walk into walls while I'm sober!). This doesn't serve as a good base to learn skydiving.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey fred,
I had similiar problems this summer in the same course & DZ you are in. I felt the exact same way and also considered quitting.
I thought 'Stability' meant I had to hold my arch Rock Solid. I cemented my arms and legs into place and flopped all over the sky. No matter how 'Hard' I held my arch I was just flopping and spinning and miserable.
Finally, for the 4000th time someone (Diane-- She's a Hottie!!) told me to relax. Yeah right! I'm falling uncontrollably to the ground at 100+ MPH and you want me to relax???
But, it (finally) worked for me.
The next time out I put my arms and legs into what I thought the appropriate positions were (Yeah! like I even know where my legs ARE let alone where they are supposed to be!!) But, instead of forcing them to stay there with all of my strength, I let my arms and legs go limp. I put them in the right spot, but I let the wind hold them there. It worked! I was very excited. Plus It was easier letting the wind do all the work.
The next jump I was so relaxed the wind actually folded one of my legs back from the knee, but I was able to knock it back down and continue a controlled descent.
I've heard people tell me to relax over and over. It's kind of like hearing all you need to do is 'Believe!' and God will make your life better. Hard to do on command. But I finally did and it made things easier. (relax, that is. God has better things to do with his time than worry about me.)
Good Luck!
Milo

[PLFKING 3]

Fred -- what they said.....RELAX !
I, too, did it the static-line way.....my 5- and 10-second delays were the worse thing anyone has ever seen in the entire history of the civilized world, so yours are definitely better. One of the cons of this particular stage in your progression is that you're not hitting "terminal" yet.....and you need that resistance to help maintain stability. You'll just have to grin and get through it.
I had problems with chipping, until my JM told me to point my d*** (a part of the anatomy not found on women) to the dirt and let everything else blow back towards the sun.....this helps promote arching in the hips. I had no problems after that.
And when checking your altimeter, just turn your wrist, and look from the corners of your eyes...this will keep everything symetrical.
Above all else, just realize that flying is an unnatural thing for humans, and nobody gets it right without some trepidation along the way. Hell, look at me -- 8 stand-ups in 58 jumps now.....but I still enjoy the living shit out of every jump, and can't wait to go again. You, too, CAN do this !
Don

[FallingMarc 0]

Hey Fred--just more of the same here, but it helps to hear it over and over again. I was in the same position you were, hell, I did 6 15-second delays before getting passed to 20, and even then I was still having problems. It's the hardest thing to do at this point, but really, the best thing you can do is relax, just like everybody said. If you're relaxed and really arching, everything else becomes much easier. I have 36 jumps and still have trouble relaxing, but it's coming. What it takes for me is to consciously think about it, in the plane, climing out, on the hill, in freefall, constantly. Yeah, then they tell you all this other stuff you have to do, like "check your altimeter" and "pull your ripcord". But if you can remember to do that stuff and keep thinking RELAX, it becomes much easier. Keep coming back, you'll get it!
Marc

[FallinWoman 1]

fred,
I had wrist-mount reading troubles, also. On jump #nine, I went toread it and would turn, so I would stop the turn and try to read it again, and turn again. I never did see that damn thing that jump. I finally pulled becuase I was freaked out about not knowing where I was. Turned out it was exactly 15 sec.
After that I read only my chest mount for the next 15-20 jumps. By then I was comfortable enough in freefall that reading the wirst was easy.
Just believe in yourself and picture everything going well!!!
It will click...I promise....The landing thing may have clicked a bit for me toady (after 75 jumps!!!)
Blue skies,
Anne

[fred 0]

Thanks for all the wonderful advice and sympathy. It's amazing how much I didn't say that you addressed.
I'm still frustrated, but there's no way I'm quitting. I am going to take a break. I'm at least not jumping this week, though I might be talked into it this weekend. I'm planning on just taking a vacation next weekend. Lord knows I need to relax in my real life, not just in my arch. Maybe it'll help, but maybe not.
I'm a bit concerned over a bruise on my right leg that is, well, worse than normal (I do bruise easily, but this is bigger than my stretched out hand). I know my leg straps were tight when I climbed out onto the wing, but they didn't feel like they were while under canopy. That's really beside the point, though. Just one more reason to take a breather: so I have time to heal.
To address certain points. I understand that relaxation is the key. I think that's why my cloud-gazing 10-second jump went so well. I just didn't care about anything else I had to do, and just wanted to keep staring out there. If only I could summon clouds at a distance at will.
There's all sorts of things mentioned that I have done at one point or another. I have very little awareness of my legs when I'm up there, and on one jump, I had to (visualize) slapping myself on the wrist because I was kicking my legs. ("What the &%*# are you kicking for, you idiot?")
And I do need to look at the positive side. Like Michele, I'm afraid of heights. While I can convince myself to go up into a tall building, I can't approach the windows. I was scared to death of the plane and the ride to altitude. And the door, omigod, that damn door. Does it really have to open so fast?
But I've overcome most of that. I'm now comfortable spotting (even had (got?) to give a correction once). I get up on my knees and lean way out of that plane with very little to hold onto. (Though, my I still hold my breath when the pilot does sharp turns with the door open. We were way off heading once and that, uh... scared me.) I'm fine with climbing out, even if I'm a bit clumsy at times.
And I can't stand it when the radio guy forgets and tells me to flare. He always has me do it too early (Whereas I do it too late, but still, I've landed on me feet and run it out every time I've flared on my own).
I can guide myself into a landing and come pretty close to the target, though the time I hit the peas I had a lot of 'suggestions' from the radio guy.
So I'm feeling good about all that.
I'm told that I look terrified on exit, so i'm going to stop a second and try to remember to smile before I let go next time. I don't pretend to understand it, but I do believe that a smile can spread to the rest of your body.
Oh, and "using your brain too much"? That's so me. I'm generally intelligent (read: book smart, not common sense), so I've got all these little tidbits of information stuck in my head. I've been reading the SIM, and every safety article posted on this site and others. (It puts the DZO off a little, when he starts explaining things. Him: "Well, the high performance canopies are made out of a material that doesn't let any air escape." Me: "Yes, zero-porosity. What does it do?" Him (still trying to answer the original question): "The student canopies are more forgiving, because they're made out of different type." Me: "Oh, F111?" He does not look amused.) But knowing all this stuff does nothing for me in the air, so I'm probably very guilty of the "heads-up-ass" syndrom, as it was so poignantly described. Why couldn't they just give me a written?
Anyway, I've jabbered on for enough. Thanks again for the advice and sympathy. Please keep 'em coming.

[paddyFrenchman 0]

Hey fred,
Here is my two cents...
First a question, what kind of exit is it ???
Relaxation is a great thing... I have seen people who could relax from their very first jump and people (like me) who relaxed as the gained experience... It took me quite a while to finish my progression and I repeated quite a few jumps...
I had some great advice along the way:
the one that got me going was to point my toes. If you point your toes, your legs are locked in the good position and that's one thing less to worry about. then it's just a matter of pushing your hips forward and look back... that should take you in a good stable spread position.
the turns (if not too violent) are not really an issue... the main thing is to be stable. Get stable and then get somebody on video to check what's wrong with your position to correct it (that really helps)...
And yeah, relax ! easy to say difficult to do because everybody has a different way of relaxing in the plane... Some focus on their jump, some crack up a few jokes and mess around, some take three or four big breath before getting out and some fart (what can you do ? the air expands on the way up... well that's my excuse anyway hope this helps,
Have fun.
Paddy.
"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

[fred 0]

Quote

First a question, what kind of exit is it ???

I think they call it a "poised" exit? But that could be wrong. Please correct me.
It's a C-182, and I climb out onto the wing strut where there are two hand grips. I grab the grips, then step off (I'm still confused as to how this happens. I step off casually onto nothingness. It's very weird in my mind. Probably more of the lack of awareness of my legs, but I just do it.) So I'm grabbing these two grips, look over to the door and get the 'go' order. I look up at the wing, and release. I (hopefully) watch the plane fall away.
I don't think I'm particularly stressed, though, as I think I mentioned, I'm told that I look terrified. I know that the worst thing that's going to happen to me is some (severe) bruises. My fear is very slight at this point.
I haven't heard the 'point your toes' thing. I'll try to remember that, since it should help with my leg awareness.
When I leave the plane, I'm initially in a good arch. In my earlier jumps, I was told that I held it pretty good for the first couple seconds, but it fell away (or, that is, I flattened out a bit). On my 15's, I consciously pushed my hips forward, but it didn't help. Then again, time seems to travel so quickly that I think I try 101 corrections before the first one could possibly take effect.

[FallingMarc 0]

If you climb all the way out with your feet off the step before letting go, you're doing a "hanging" exit. I think the hanging exit is the easiest to keep stable from. "Poised" exits are where you're still standing on the step, and holding on to the strut for balance.
When I was at about the same point in SL training, everybody told me I was really tense too. I didn't have the fear of leaving the airplane anymore, at least not as intense as at first, so I wasn't tightening up because of that. I would tense up, however, because I would think about everything I had to do, and not screwing up, and I'm a perfectionist, and overanalytical, so I would kind of fight the air instead of relaxing and letting the air do the work for me. I still have this trouble, so I'll tell you it's not easy to relax, but just don't worry about doing every little thing right immediately. The instructors shouldn't let you out of the plane unless you know what you're supposed to do. So, just relax and let yourself do it. That's what it took for me, I had to think about what I wanted to do as I was preparing, then once I got out there, I just had to stop thinking and let it happen. It will come!
Marc

[bill2 0]

Hi Fred, I just passed my AFF levels 4 and 5 yesterday, had to repeat levels 3 and 4, so I know where you're coming from. I was thinking of quitting because it was so scary and I didn't seem to be able to stop turning too the left. When I did my level 4 repeat yesterday, the instructor said, and what you've already heard several times in this thread, don't over analyze the jump and remember this is supposed to fun. Relax, arch hard (more with your hips instead of your chest which is what I started out doing). I took off from the plane and looked up and he was still there. I started turning again to the left, said to myself to relax, arch hard and just correct the turn. I did and stopped turning. A second later I looked over and the jumpmaster was right there. When we did the docking part of the level 4 jump, he started blowing kisses at me and I just started laughing. The first time that has happened since I started jumping. I relaxed even more and started falling rock solid steady. So, if I had to boil it down to just a few words, relax, enjoy each jump no matter how you do, and shove those hips down. AND smile during every jump while you're in the air - you'd be amazed at what that will do. This is supposed to fun.

[Slappie 9]

Quote

I'm a perfectionist, and overanalytical

I've come to the conclusion that almost all skydivers & students fit this statement. I know I fit in there somewhere. My New Website with 24hr Chat

[DZBone 0]

fred, it's funny you posted this. I had some downtime this weekend and was flipping through my log books, and had a laugh about my student s/l progression. I seem to recall that I was a bit of a wiz, yet the documentation states otherwise! Those intermediate (5s, 10s) delays are tough! There's like no time to correct anything! I kept going over on my right side. Generally not a Good Thing. I was watching some old video a couple of months ago, including my off-instruction jump. Cripes, was it painful! I was chipping all over the place, but apparently they didn't care about that back then, because I had never even heard the term before this year, and there is not mention in the logs. No mention either of the dorky moustache, which I had in the eighties, and didn't get rid of until way too far into the nineties.
So, I'm not saying I'm Joe Skydiver now, but you can relax knowing that it will all come eventually. Someone mentioned riding a bike. Good analogy. It extends to long times off also. Coming back after six years away, the basics just came naturally. The more advanced stuff, well.....
Carl