Haven't seen Part I? It's here...
They pinned my arm bone together, threaded a rod down my leg, let me wake up, and wheeled me to my hospital room.
"Now you've been and gone and done it!" I thought, "Broke your arm and your leg? On opposite sides? Whatcha gonna do now?"
My inner critic took over:
Still, it would be weeks and weeks before the bones healed, and months before I could skydive again.
No skydiving for months?
I'd been skydiving for barely a year and was just reaching the "good for a beginner" stage.
It had been an uphill climb. With obstacles:
...but it could have been worse. Other jumpers had sustained way more serious injuries. Some had been killed. Heck, if I'd landed in a worse spot, I might have been killed too. Maybe a broken arm or leg wasn't such a big deal.
Even artists had been hurt way worse than me, I remembered.
Al Capp and Frida Kahlo had both been mutilated by trolley accidents, for example. I wasn't doing bad for a "fall out of the plane" accident. Frida had broken her right leg in eighteen pieces (And her pelvis, foot, spine, etc.) Had I complained about my injuries to her, she'd be unimpressed.
...I knew I was a lucky duck.
AND you Landed a parachute WITH a broken arm..Not many so called skydivers can lay claim to that :)
ReplyDeleteYou need to have your collective shit together in 15 months when I take you freeflying ;)
Anon,
ReplyDeleteWell, my effort pushed the definition of "landing," but I did what I could.
...so we're freeflying someday, are we? :)
Duck, you have reinforced my suspicion that you are a badass.
ReplyDeleteYour attitude has champion skydiver written all over it... and you have reminded me to spend a little more time trying to fly and flare my canopy with either hand.
Heal fast.
@Codefarmer, I've been called "bad" and "an ass" before, but never a badass! ;)
ReplyDeleteAs for the attitude, I can attribute it, in part, to a study I read about years ago. They interviewed people who considered themselves either very luck or unlucky.
"...I decided to present lucky and unlucky people with some unlucky scenarios and see how they reacted. I asked lucky and unlucky people to imagine that they were waiting to be served in a bank. Suddenly, an armed robber enters the bank, fires a shot, and the bullet hits them in the arm. Would this event be lucky or unlucky? Unlucky people tended to say that this would be enormously unlucky and it would be just their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery. In contrast, lucky people viewed the scenario as being far luckier, and often spontaneously commented on how the situation could have been far worse. As one lucky participant commented, “It’s lucky be-cause you could have been shot in the head – also you could sell your story to the newspapers..."
here's the article
I might also add that some other skydivers have set good examples too- they've gotten hurt- sometimes very badly, but they don't fuss, whine or complain.
Namo, that is so ****ing badass!
ReplyDeleteRespect from denmark.
Christian Christoffersen,
ReplyDeleteAw, shucks. Thanks!
Namo, this is the best episode ever. I'm so glad you didn't break your drawin' arm. I LOVE FRIDA and the 3 nah-nah-nanny goats and the T.V. quote!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! I had fun drawing them. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat size canopy and wing loading?
ReplyDeleteWould live to know this too...
ReplyDeleteThere was really some luck involved with what you experienced, Jennifer. Being able to steer your chute at that height was really something, and it's a good thing you didn't lose your nerve. How's your leg and arm now? It may be a long process to rehabilitate your broken arms and legs, but I believe you'll be able to skydive again.
ReplyDeleteKristal Byrnes @ COCOrtho
The canopy was 190 square feet, and my wing loading was in beginnerville- .9 I believe.
ReplyDeleteKristal
Thanks!
You have quite a creative way of telling a story, I'll give you that.
ReplyDelete