Dear Mr Hogue,
I seem to have lost something when I was at your skydiving facility a few weeks ago. It was April 25th and I was there for my first ever tandem jump – a gift from my son for my 63rd Birthday.
I didn’t realize until later, a few days after getting home, that I’d lost something. In my defense – my mind was on other things that day, completely understandable. It took me a few days to realize it must have happened during my jump. At first I thought I’d simply misplaced them in all the excitement and that they’d eventually show up.
I do think you should take your share of responsibility for what happened. I’d taken all precautions as recommended. In fact I’d been proactive and had worn my hightops – worried my ankle sneakers might come off mid-jump. My instructor, Chris, checked twice to make sure my shoes were on tight – he was very thorough. Those suckers didn’t move an inch – I had them laced up tight! From 13,000 feet up all the way down to the ground my shoes held tight to my feet.
But damned if that jump didn’t KNOCK MY F@&$*?G SOCKS OFF!!!
And that’s why I must bring this to your attention. I wasn’t prepared for that. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining, everything else went great. You all have tandem skydiving down to an art. Harnesses secure, clear and simple instructions for what I’m supposed to do during the jump – extend my head back, up and to the left when we exit the plane while at the same time kicking my legs up and back as high up my instructor’s back as I can, all the while keeping a strong grip on my harness with my arms and elbows at my side until Chris signals by tapping some appendage, I forget which one, at which time I could extend my arms and fly until we were coming in for the landing at which time I was to grab my legs behind my knees and keep them lifted up toward my chest until we were close to the ground at which time I could put my feet down, but keep them flat and whatever I do don’t dig my heels in. And check again, were my shoes on tight because my instructor did not want them coming off mid jump. Makes for a crappy landing.
I did everything I was instructed to do and still…..that jump KNOCKED MY F*&%#&G SOCKS OFF!!! I wasn’t prepared for that. Sorry to keep repeating myself – but it does bear saying….again and again and again.
I’m sure my socks floated down onto the surrounding desert, sprinkled among a few dozen other pairs belonging to us first timers lucky enough to experience that unbelievable feeling of free-falling 5,000 feet at over 100 miles per hour. I can honestly say the freefall was one of the absolute most amazing, mind altering experiences I’ve ever taken in through all my senses.
But without my socks – I am not the same. My suburban life feels too familiar and lacking in adventure. I’m having a hard time powering through a daily routine that in the past I could just pull up my socks and motor through. Not now – nothing is the same now. To add insult to injury – I’ve turned into one of those evangelizers preaching the gospel of the Skydiving Church, the spirituality of the FreeFall.
I wrote to you because I wanted to ask if you all had found my socks, but the more I think about it – F#%$K the socks.
My first jump had to be the quickest, most effective mind-altering therapy I’ve ever tried my hand at. Lucky you all who get to experience it on a regular basis. Lucky me that I got to experience it all. I’m sure my socks will ultimately find their way back, they always do, giving me a good excuse to return to SkydivePhoenix to KNOCK THOSE F*&%#&G SOCKS OFF once again…
All kidding aside, one more thing before I wrap this up. I have a bit of hero worship for my instructor, and all the tandem instructors, whose presence and attention to detail conveyed a sense of calm, safety and fun so that I experienced almost no fear, but awe, wonder and joy at what I was feeling and seeing from 13,000 all the way down to the ground and loving every single nanosecond. I want to thank you and your entire team who offer up to those of us with our socks on and our feet planted firmly on the ground – the gift, the chance, the opportunity to let go – to bust open something within that keeps us under control – to take in wave upon wave of freedom, wonder and craziness for that too brief period of time. To F*&%#&g KNOCK OUR SOCKS OFF!!! while keeping our shoes safely on for the landing.
Sincerely,
Melissa Dougherty
p.s. I apologize for the &@€^%@ language – but without my socks, to quote Mr. Dylan, “Things Have Changed”.
