ragoo

Even though it's been over 3 years, I just found out Chris is gone a couple weeks ago when I ran into another of our old skydiving buddies in Wal-Mart. I'm just now going through what the rest of you went through back then. Believe it or not, but I actually trained Chris for his first jump back in the good ole' days of the Golden Eagle Sport Parachute Club at Tennessee Tech in the mid '80's. Something that stands out in my mind is how he would so casually outdo me. I'd been doing this stuff for over a year (PLF, suspended harness, etc.). I had lots of students I had to spend extra time with. I would show Chris something one time and he would do it better than me and then grin at me like he knew I knew it, and I did. In a matter of months, we traded places and he became one of my RW instructors. And he was a good one, too. Even when I landed feeling like crap because I thought I blew the jump, he always had something positive and constructive to offer. Chris was there for some of the best days of my life. We'd jump all day at White County Airport, then when it got dark we'd go stash our gear in the football stadium at Tech, then off to Grady's, our (un)official clubhouse for refreshments and tall tales. I haven't jumped since about '90 but I'm starting to feel froggy again. I've also been thinking about Chris alot lately. Spring's around the corner. I'm hoping for a spiritual convergence to happen here. Maybe. For years I kept telling myself I would cruise down to Tullahoma and drop in in him and for years I never did. Now I'm kicking myself hard. Love you, buddy, and I miss you. Randy Goolsby [email]Quote