Free-Fall.....

Bungee Jumping.
The bungee cord feels tight around your waist as you look down and stare into oblivion. Beads of perspiration form on your forehead as the enormity of what you are about to do sinks into you and threatens to morph your excitement to panic. Your breathing becomes shallow, your world swims out of focus. Fear threatens to spread its deathly tentacles around you, seizing you in a vice-like grip, slowly extending its stranglehold from head to toe. Before you can come to terms with your newfound state of apprehension, someone in the background yells, "5!" Your trepidations leave you, replacing themselves with all the important instructions your instructor threw at you, during training. "4!" Your mind wipes itself clean off all the thoughts. "3!" You stretch out your arms like an eagle. The chasm below you is your sky. "2!" You close your eyes, take a deep breath and psych yourself. "1!" You crouch down, ready to push off. It is time. "Bungee!!" And you watch the ground below rushing up to embrace you, like a balrog wishing to engulf you in its lethal flames. A gut-wrenching scream escapes your lips, as adrenaline courses through your body. Suddenly , a surprisingly gentle tug from your cord makes you slow down, and halt within inches of the gaping jaws of the fire-demon. You feel alive, like you have never before, and you savour those few moments of flight. The eagle once again spreads its wings , and soars. Its horizon has contracted. It's fear is temporarily at bay.
Soon you are pulled back to safety by your friends, your fellow jumpers. They have done it before, they know. The know you love the experience. You love the panic, the exhilaration and the calm that follows. You can't wait to jump again.......

Often you take the plunge, relish the contrasting emotions it evokes within you and rely on your friends to put you back on solid ground.

Sound familiar?

Yes, a perfect example of the one thing that befuddles us all.

Life.