Realization of your own mortality.

[pinkfairy 0]

I think it's against human nature to truly understand that we will be gone some day. However hard I try, I cannot wrap my mind around that.

I've never seen or known anyone go in in this sport or anywhere else, but I've seen some scary stuff, and been on some scary jumps. I still walk around thinking that I'm invincible. I don't know if I could deal with thinking about the worst case scenario, I don't even know if it would help.

And I'm not even that young.



Thanks, anyway.

Relax, you can die if you mess up, but it will probably not be by bullet.

I'm a BIG, TOUGH BIGWAY FORMATION SKYDIVER! What are you?

[Amazon 7]

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Interestingly enough I learned from watching cable TV that fishing is way more dangerous....
anybody see that show on the most dangerous sports ?

That is no shit man....

This guy is l33t

Fishin

Then again...Attack of the Fish

[wildcard451 0]

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What about those who realize it, then deny it, then realize it again and then don't care about it?

Next time someone at your DZ bounces, go to the morgue with the body and console the guy's family. Tell them how you don't care about death because you're such a badass. I'm sure they'll appreciate your point of view.

Or you can just grow the fuck up and realize it's not all about you.

Usually washing someone else's blood out of your jumpsuit is enough to set the reality in...

[muff528 3]

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Interestingly enough I learned from watching cable TV that fishing is way more dangerous....
anybody see that show on the most dangerous sports ?

Especially that "noodling" business...... I just don't "get" that.

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Hi faairy,

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However hard I try, I cannot wrap my mind around that.

If you live long enough you will. Believe me on this.

This Fall I will leave my 60's behind me and I have seen a lot of friends & relatives die of natural causes; cancer, heart attack, etc, etc.

IMO as we age we begin to accept our mortality; they never told us about this when we were young.

JerryBaumchen

PS) Great post, Jeanne!!!!

[cocheese 0]

When I was 12, I never thought I would see 16. When I was 16, I didn't think i would see 18. When I was 30 I wasn't sure I would see 43.

Hell, now I wonder if the human race is going to be around in 5 years.

Seems every other day I almost die from something ....or someone else.

Tell those you love that you love them.

Live for today as much as you can, but save a bit of life for tomorrow just in case there is one. There usually is if you don't fuck up today.

[aussiechick 0]

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Well as inevitable as it is, Im not too sure spending that time "worrying" is such a way I would like to spend my time.
After all worrying is like a rocking chair, Gives you something to do, But doesnt get you any where

I think the OP's point is not so much that we should all spend our time worrying about dying, but more about been respectful that this sport can kill you if you are careless and feel invincible.

Until you've actually been in the situation where one minute you are are laughing and joking with a close friend, and 1 hour later they are taking him away in a body bag because of a careless error, you can't truly understand what we are talking about.

[mtbriles 0]

But i am invincible (or close enough)

Why not?
My direction in life is up...then down again REALLY REALLY FAST!!!
Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D.S. #55

[happythoughts 0]

Everyone accepts their mortality. The argument is in whether
someone can control all aspects of the danger and avoid it.

The first problem is that, based on everything that the posters know, they are right. Both sides.
The second problem is that they know different things.

I agree with you and understand that I cannot be totally safe.

[Amazon 7]

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But i am invincible (or close enough)

I am Invincible

Yeah Yeah I think I have heard that before

[mtbriles 0]

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But i am invincible (or close enough)

I am Invincible

Yeah Yeah I think I have heard that before

Hahaha PERFECT!

Why not?
My direction in life is up...then down again REALLY REALLY FAST!!!
Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
D.S. #55

[piisfish 135]

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For all of those skydivers who have not accepted the very inconvienient fact that you are indeed mortal yet, trust me eventually you will.

I remember a time when I too was invincible.

EVENTUALLY... I realized my mortality!!!!!

I realised it a bit more 4 years ago today.

for those who don't know about my story, click here

scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM

[Stilling 0]

Better to live and bounce than never to have balls.

[airtwardo 6]

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What about those who realize it, then deny it, then realize it again and then don't care about it?

Next time someone at your DZ bounces, go to the morgue with the body and console the guy's family. Tell them how you don't care about death because you're such a badass. I'm sure they'll appreciate your point of view.

Or you can just grow the fuck up and realize it's not all about you.

[jumpinguy 0]

Don't worry, that Dave Lepaka will set everybody on the straight and narrow. He is a fixer...a real hero.

[CMiller 1]

Why must I contemplate my own mortality to be safe in this sport? I'm 25 and nobody in my family has died while I've been alive. None of my friends have died. I haven't experienced death in any form yet.

Yet when I make a jump I know there's certain things I have to do and be aware of, and certain risks I'm taking. Why do I have to think about DEATH in order to be safe up there? Do you think that will somehow make me take it more seriously? Believe me, I take it seriously already.

[jayrech 0]

Well, I knew some one would find a way to take offense to my "quote" When I said worrying is like a rocking chair, All I meant was Im comfortable with the fact that some day, I am going to die, The world will continue to spin, my friends will hopefully move on, yes I am going to leave people behind, yes people will feel bad, but In no way what so ever did I mention anything along the lines of being disrespectfull to our sport, if you take the time and read my post earlier on in this thread you would see that I am not agreeing with the topic of this thread. And if you really want to push pennies for whos is bigger maybe you should take a step back and open your eyes. We have all gone through something in our lives that makes us realize our mortality, and Hey, We are here now to talk about this, lets be happy with that.

D.S 174.2

Be careful what you say. Some one might take it the right way.

[jayrech 0]

I cant say im totally in the same boat as you, but I agree with what your saying, Just because you dont see these things first hand doesnt mean some one can have a healthy respect for the serious nature of our sport, that big ball of dirt we throw our selves at is bloody hard. I dont know about you, but i would rather not find out what its like to meet it face on ( no disrespect to any one is meant with this).

D.S 174.2

Be careful what you say. Some one might take it the right way.

[kkeenan 13]

This has been a bad year so far. Four folks that I am closely connected to have died in skydiving accidents in the space of about a month. These were not students or noobies. They were all highly-experienced skydivers. They were all doing things in ways that had been safe for them for years, when something beyond their control took over.

Every time I see the many friends I have, who are jumpers, I have to wonder if I'm seeing them for the last time. But they are probably wondering the same thing about me.

Kevin K.

[christelsabine 1]

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Better to live and bounce than never to have balls.

Oh look. Freshly delivered .... and already best informed.

dudeist skydiver # 3105

[mutumbo 0]

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And if skydiving accidents don't make you realize it, just wait until you get older, and friends start dropping like flies around you, from cancer, heart attacks and other various old-age ailments. Then you REALLY get worried about when your time is coming...

shit man you dont have to get old, I'm 23 years old and will almost guarantee that i've lost more friends in the past few years than most will in a life time, not due to skydiving accidents yet, they were things like car wrecks, bike wrecks, drownings, unexplainable sudden death at 17, brain cancer at 27, and a host of other things. and through all this its made me realize that no one lives forever, and you may as well have as much fun as possible, because you're time will come, like it or not. nothing you can do will change it so dont worry about it.

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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Better to live and bounce than never to have balls.

No sport is worth dying for.

[JohnMitchell 14]

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A week ago I was compiling a list of the NON-fatal injuries at my DZ in the last couple of years. While we have been fortunate to avoid a fatality recently... we have had many injuries from trivial to permenantly life changing. We have also had non-injury close calls that could have been SOOOO bad.

In risk analysis, those are the base incidents that often build to a fatal accident. See what you can do about risk management from the bottom up.

[JohnRich 4]

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shit man you dont have to get old, I'm 23 years old and will almost guarantee that i've lost more friends in the past few years than most will in a life time, not due to skydiving accidents yet, they were things like car wrecks, bike wrecks, drownings, unexplainable sudden death at 17, brain cancer at 27, and a host of other things. and through all this its made me realize that no one lives forever, and you may as well have as much fun as possible, because you're time will come, like it or not. nothing you can do will change it so dont worry about it.

You were doing okay until you got to that last part, which I've highlighted.

Indeed, some causes of death you can't change, and those aren't worth worrying about. However, since we're talking about skydiving here, your behavior as a skydiver DOES have a great impact on the odds of dying in this sport. In the same way, how you drive a car affects your chances of a car accident, wearing a life vest reduces your chances of drowning in a boat accident, and so on.

[mutumbo 0]

ok i worded that poorly, yes you can have a big affect on HOW you die, for the most part, (sometimes its just your time to go, and there isnt a damn thing anyone could have done), my point was that no matter what you do you will die eventually, somewhere some how, death comes so dont focus on dying, focus on being safe so you live longer, if that makes any sense.

Thanatos340(on landing rounds)--
Landing procedure: Hand all the way up, Feet and Knees Together and PLF soon as you get bitch slapped by a planet.