"Corre! Corre!"
This is what I hear as I am running towards the edge of a cliff with a man a quarter of my height strapped to my back. I am wearing a helmet that pay homage to a boy who flew to close to the sun only to have his wings melt and plummet to his death. I see the cliff edge, I see the tree that will make its mark, and all I want to do is sit down.
"Corre! Corre!"
So I run. I run because I know I will not be the champion standing if I meet the tree. I run because that cliff is coming close & I want to survive. So I run. It is against every instinct in man to run off a cliff, especially with a "little person" strap to one's back. I am praying. I am singing ("I believe I can fly"). I just remembered that I needed to go to the bathroom.
"Corre! Corre!"
And I am off. My feet are not on the ground. I am above the ravine being lifted up by a midget who is holding on to a handful of strings attached to a "parachute" not big enough to use as a cover at night. But we are flying/floating over the Andes.
It was beautiful. This was a birthday present given by my wife in conjunction with a b-day gift to Andres by his wife. Ben was also there for the fun of it. The three of us enjoyed roughly a 40-50 minute flight of Para-penting, basically hang-gliding with a parachute.
My "driver" Jose gave me a great ride of swinging, swooshes, and the mother of all swirly spirals that left me speechless & my wife thinking I was going to die. It was awesome. It is better that any roller coaster I have every been on in my life. It was tranquil, peaceful, & acrobatic all in one.
I think the spectators even enjoyed my ride. But, it was good to return to earth. I know now why God didn't give men wings & why we call Earth "Mother." I look back now & see what I have done in the past couple weeks. One week ago, I was diving in the Pacific petting tortugas & swimming with eels. Now I am soaring with eagles & seeing man's creation nestled in God's work.
Amazing!!!
I feel that I will not have this opportunity again. Better yet, I know that I will not have this type of opportunity again, but I will have other adventures before me. I have a child on the way, & eternity to live in a paradise much better than this one here today. I know that I will strive to always make the most of life. That is the way I can truly worship Him, the One who created this place.
All I can do today is...
"Corre! Corre!"
