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| Janice hanging for dear life while White Water Rafting |
So, I am standing on a 30 ft. cliff in the hills of West Virginia overlooking the New River wondering how did I get myself into this predicament. I have been inactive fitness wise for several months that means I am fat and out of shape. However, today I find myself whitewater rafting, swimming in a river, rock climbing and cliff jumping.
At this very moment, I am standing at the top of a thirty-foot cliff in panic mode. I am hyperventilating with fear gripping my body as I look down at the river. It was with boatloads of people calling my name encouraging me to jump. There are about four hundred people in the river below yelling, “Janice jump.” One man counts one, two, three which really sends me more into a panic. I am laughing uncontrollable with nervousness. I was scared shitless. In the back of mind, Janice is asking my alter ego Skychi, “Why are you here?”
I am watching others jump in front of me one by one they run and jump. It was my turn and what did I do I panicked. I decided to give my HD Hero Go Pro camera to my boat mate Aaron to record his jump. Then I "high tail" it away from the edge of the cliff. I watch Aaron easily jump into the river.
I try to climb back down the cliff. I don’t get very far. My legs are too short; I am having difficulties trying to stretch my legs to climb up this damn boulder. So I stop and stand on a tree limb and lean my back against my hurdle boulder to take a breath. I am again watching others easily jump off this cliff. I start giving myself a pep talk, “You can do this. It is just a diving board. You can jump.”
My next move is to get back in line and try to jump again. I can’t climb back down the cliff. I have no choice but to jump off this damn cliff. Why am I here? I am literally "stuck between a rock and a hard place." I have to JUMP!
This time I am standing at the edge of this cliff and I just fall forward. I don’t run and jump like the others before me. I am still in panic mode so I can’t think or control my body. I am falling from a cliff without any form or finesse. My eyes were shut tight and I am screaming for dear life.
Brad our raft master guide called me the “River Princess”. This “River Princess” is now falling without grace from a 30 foot cliff. The angels show me mercy as they guide my graceless fall into the river. As I hit like a ton of bricks, my left boob broke my fall into the hard as concrete New River. My warrior shaped body was stunned by the clashing impact into the unyielding river. It feels like the river punched me in the chest. My heart stops breathing. I lay there motionless. The life jacket flips my body over automatically or maybe it was the angels. I am still not breathing while I am lying there motionless.
My eyes open, I am still alive. I hear a man say, “Breathe”. I take a breath; there is a little water in my lungs. I start to move my arms. I am okay. My boob hurts and stings, but I am in one piece. Thank God for all this fat on my chest.
Now I ponder to myself, “Will Janice jump again?” Maybe I will practice jumping from a diving board first!
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