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chrismgtis

A Message To All Skydivers

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I kind of feel like I need to speak up a bit and say this to all of you skydivers. Drop the drama. Quit talking behind each others backs. Quit participating in cliques. That is not what the sport is about. If you feel the need to bring that in then step out until you've changed your ways.

I took much pride in my participation in the sport due to the absence of this very thing and in the past year I've seen it slowly exist as more skydivers have come in. That is not to say the skydivers that existed before hand are exempt from this point. It doesn't matter. Accept everyone. Everyone! Forget past transgressions. They mean nothing!

In no case, regardless of who your friends are or are not, or whatever reason you may have to feel that you are not the friend of another or if you may feel wronged by another, is no excuse for any kind of non-acceptance or intolerance. Not one of you is better than the other, regardless of who you think you are outside of the sport in your lives. When you walk onto a DZ, you are the same, you are one. Start acting like it. Drop the grudges. Turn your cheek again and again if you have to. Do your part.

If you feel the need to speak out against another, decide not to accept another person as your friend or as part of your community, pause and think about what you're doing. Why do you participate in the sport of skydiving? To make as many skydives as you can each weekend and add to the number of skydives in your log book?

If that's the extent of your participation, you may be supporting the DZ by providing income, but you are not supporting the community or the continuance and progress of the the sport and it's community, which is the most important aspect the majority of us believe in and why we come back week in and out to a sport which could kill us (and scare the hell out of us). It's why we take the risk to make friends and risk the chance of watching them perish tragically. We do it, because we enjoy making those friends, spending time with them experiencing something with them that those outside can not describe and to be a part of that bond as a whole.

Embrace each other and take the initiative to step in and befriend those around you and to drop whatever issue you might have with someone else. Stop operating in groups of social cliques and ask someone on the sidelines to come have a beer when the light is on, or to participate in an outing. If that is not your aim, then what is?

As I see it, the most important and only things that mattered to me were: safety, the basics (which take thousands of skydives and you never cease to learn), making friends, being around hundreds of great people. What else is there?

It bothers the hell out of me to watch what is happening to this sport in the short time that I've been a part of it. After two years I started to notice that the reasons which I had stood up for the sport so defiantly...I was partially wrong about. I'm not even an active skydiver any more (one of the reasons I chose to retire is for the reason that I'm speaking out about) but I still see it as I'm friends with many of you.

And FYI folks, when new jumpers step onto the DZ, stop analyzing whether or not they are up to par with your standards of "cool". That is complete nonsense. I've watched so many of you embrace certain newbies and not speak a word to the rest. Maybe that just goes against my idea of what this sport stood for and maybe you never saw it that way, but you should.

You guys are part of a community that can only be challenged, changed and broken from within. The way I see it is, if you want to be a part of it, every one of you are charged with it's protection. I personally kind of gave up, because I'm not strong like most of you are and can't speak up.

Stop worrying about logging jumps and start worrying about participating. With each other. You're not at lunch in junior high sitting at the cool table. I'll admit and tell you straight up, I've personally sat by myself away from a lot of you during events just because I didn't want to be around a massive mess of cliques. It's disgusting.

I'm retired now as of a few months ago, but I thought I should leave this message behind.

Why am I telling you this? A. Because I'm retired in part due to what I'm speaking up about. B. This sport in my mind is great, because of it's tolerance, acceptance and positivity. Don't ruin it.
Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

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Nothing has changed, you just started to notice the drama. Sometimes it takes a while.

You can't change people. Either deal with it or quit. I see you chose to quit (not sure you can call it retiring just yet). If you're in the sport to socialize and not to skydive, it might not be the right sport for you.

No idea what you're specifically talking about, but maybe you should have tried changing DZs. If every DZ gives you the same problem, maybe the other people aren't the problem?

Most skydivers spend most of their time not skydiving. That part can suck. But either the skydiving makes it worth it, or it doesn't. That's a personal decision. You couldn't pay me to quit.

Dave

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I think you failed to read your jump ticket:

Front side - Get in, Sit down, Shut up

Back side - All complaints, concerns, nagging, bitching, pissyfits, crying, and other egocentric communications should be shared with your overprotective mommy or kept to yourself. Couch Freaks rocks
It's called the Hillbilly Hop N Pop dude.
If you're gonna be stupid, you better be tough.
That's fucked up. Watermelons do not grow on trees! ~Skymama

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You'll find drama in any group of >2 people if you look for it. Hell, you can find it with one person who can create lots of their own drama.

It's all a matter of what you choose to do with it and how you choose to react to it. Personally, I find that maintaining balance in my life between what goes on at the dropzone and what goes on away from it helps me to put any drama that does exist into easy perspective. Skydiving and skydivers are a big part of my life; they are not my entire life.

Get over the idea that skydivers are any different from any other group of people; we're not. Get over the idea that the dropzone culture is fundamentally different from any other culture created by a group of people with like interests; it's not.
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I've never been the part of the drama. I'm only speaking out for what I was seeing and what I saw happen to others and what I was somewhat 'affected' by in a non-direct sense.

Who knows, maybe it will open one or two persons eyes, maybe not. The attempt is all that matters.

Not that I expected more from person(s) on an Internet forum where people feel they can act in any way they wish with no consequence, but you guys are skydivers, the ignorant replies are pretty pathetic.

Yes, skydivers are a rare breed in that the majority of them are different from the mass public. You won't change my mind about that, I know it as I witnessed it week in an out for years. I saw the good in these people, but I'm also seeing some bad (in those that I didn't see the "good" in yet).

The maturity should rub off on these people, but the immaturity could also rub off on others and I'm telling you as my opinion, grow the fuck up and if you want to be a drama-queen. Go home and buy yourself a crown and proceed to sit on your "throne" alone.

It's not needed. Skydivers are 18+ and the majority are 25+. You guys don't live in trailer parks since you can apparently afford to skydive. Act like it.

Anyway, that's about as close as I'll get to being a part of drama in my life. Rant over. ;)

Good luck.

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

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Not that I expected more from person(s) on an Internet forum where people feel they can act in any way they wish with no consequence, but you guys are skydivers, the ignorant replies are pretty pathetic.



Based on the opinions of skydivers and the skydiving community that you've expressed here, it sounds like you've made the best decision for you. :)
"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

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I've never been the part of the drama.



Oh thank F*ck for that :P

- and i thought starting such a patronising post with a title like "A Message To All Skydivers" was going to be something important ...

Thanks for wasting several seconds of my precious life reading your meaningless drivel ...

Next time use a title like that when you have discovered a cure for cancer or something suitably important !!!

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What you should understand is that there is a relatively small amount of skydivers that post the majority of responses. It's the vocal minority. So don't take a forum group as a average sample of the skydiving community. Remember most of the posts you will get here are of the very very vocal. Just food for thought, I started jumping in the 70's when I was a teenager. There was a time when you could start static line when you were 16. Anyway, took 20 years off and came back about 1 year ago. Love my DZ, the people are better (or at least more sane) than I remember and jumping is fun again in a different way. Drama is what you make it. I choose to ignore alot more than I did 30some years ago.

Bruno
Irony: "the History and Trivia section hijacked by the D.B. Cooper thread"

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Well I for one am sorry you felt the need to delete your post. I am glad I got to read it before you did; it was well written and it possibly could've been useful to maybe make even one person rethink their treatment of others.

There are many posts on here I don't choose to respond to for various reasons; one of them being if I don't have anything nice to say, or type... well, you know the rest. But, what do I know... :S

"One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar" ~ Helen Keller

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There are many posts on here I don't choose to respond to for various reasons; one of them being if I don't have anything nice to say, or type... well, you know the rest. But, what do I know...
***
you obviously know more than most of us.... it seems that lately people (myself included) are getting a bit less tolerant and more prone to attacking someone for their postings - not sure if its the economic situation or what, but something seems to be putting people more on edge.

the op deleted his post while I was writing my reply, what he had to say actually made sense.

Roy
They say I suffer from insanity.... But I actually enjoy it.

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Yes, I see I am making the best decision leaving this community. I used to think more highly of you folks as a whole. I can see that I wasted my time.



You are dealing with a extreme sport with extreme personalities. Not everyone is going to get along. I think Dave hit it on the head. You just didn't notice it in the beginning. I have met a lot of assholes in this sport and a lot of really cool people.
Why are you at the DZ anyways, to jump or to be liked?

Don't let assholes run you off. If you love something , don't let anyone stand in your way.
just my 2 cents
Never give the gates up and always trust your rears!

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>I can see that I wasted my time.

If you think that, you might be happier elsewhere.

Personally, I've seen all types. I've seen the vocal obnoxious types. I've seen the experienced skydivers who don't have time for anyone else. I've seen the fashionistas whose rig matches their shoes and who look down at people with old Reflexes that have the previous owner's name on the mudflap.

But I've also met other people. I've met world class competitors who put as much effort into bringing other people up through the ranks as they put into their own training. I've met gorgeous female skydivers who are as nice as they come - even when besieged by jerks who can't see past their skin. I've met people with crippling afflictions who never let that get in the way of what they want to do, and spend zero effort complaining about their lot in life. I've met CEO's who skydive and who treat the construction worker on their team the same way they treat the surgeon. I've met people who struggle with their own demons, but who put them aside when it comes time to skydive.

And you can choose which type to hang out with. If you tend to gravitate towards the first group, I can see why you'd think it was a waste of time.

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I didn't see the post before the OP deleted it, but I did read the one you referenced when it was first posted. Sounds like he's got a lot of shit going on and has chosen to use skydiving as a scapegoat. That's unfortunate. Hopefully things turn around for him. Maybe some time off will do him some good. Maybe it won't. Who knows. Regardless I wish chrismgtis all the best in his future endeavors.

p.s. if anything I have written sounds like jibberish, its the vicodin.
Adrenaline is my crack

DPH #3
D.S. #16 FAG #12 Muff Brother #4406

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I've seen the fashionistas whose rig matches their shoes and who look down at people with old Reflexes that have the previous owner's name on the mudflap.



Thank god my old Reflex doesn't have a name on it...
2 wrongs don't make a right - but 3 lefts do.

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