dang, you know that brings to mind watching this guy free fall to earth and wondering if he would bounce.
We used to do Sports Photography for little league Football, Soccar, Baseball and such. We ended up in Zepherhills Florida doing their Football teams one time and as I was working throughout the day I noticed the Divers heading up in planes at different times. When I had a chance I would watch to see them pile out and form up and break away floating back to the ground.
So I am down behind this camera and I hear a gasp and some people scream, look up as mothers cover some small childrens eyes and turn to look where they are and see this black clad person falling to earth with this big colorful streamer fluttering above them. It looked as if they had their arms wrapped up in the strings attaching them to the chute and they fell behind the trees out of view. We all waited for a few moments and everyone just seemed to become so depressed, it had been so alive up to that point, kids laughing and playing, parents shmoozing with coaches and friends. Then this happened and it was like a gloomy New England day stuck in the house with nothing to do and no one to do it with...
I talked with one of the League Board members and he told me it happens all the time, which kind of shocked me because not being around it all the time I never thought about it. So everyone from that point on was kind of down and it was not picture day anymore, it was get this done asap and let us go home.
About 15 minutes passed and this guys phone rings and he answers it and a huge smile crosses his face and he winked at me from about 30 feet away. He hangs up and walks away to the consession stand and then I hear his voice over the field intercom, everyone stops and he says that his neibhor works out at the airport and remembered it was picture day and thought he should call to amek sure everyone knew the guy survived. Man all those people came ungluded slapping each other on backs, smiling, shouting in joy, clapping. Seems he was trying to cut his main away and at the last moment had pulled his reserve which opened enough so he slowed enough that he did not go splat on impact. He also landed in a wet muddy marsh area to the side of the run way. Broke an arm and leg, some ribs, concussion and such but would live.
People really shook me up with how they reacted collectively with that. I mean, no one knew this person, not one person there knew him and yet there was such an emotional attachment to another human being that you could feel it in the air like a bass speakers pulse.
That is one instance of why my faith is in humanity in the end and my belief is that one day when the time comes and the need is greatest we can all act without selfish reason of any type being a part of our choice to act....
anyway...
sorry to go off topic...
oh, better yet
My (this) post could be considered pretty retarded
