My deepest sympathies to Eldon, his family and Skydive Barnstable..

I am beyond sad and shocked to have learned that the skydive instructor who passed away yesterday was the very same one I jumped with just a couple of months ago *Authors note: apologies to my BWF, Nintendo-No-Friendo, on re-publishing what I said I never would, but this tribute wouldn’t be relevant without the reference so I’m sorry, I’ll get you a green laser pointer and promise to pretend I’m not embarrassed next time you pull out the parabolic dish in public. Love ya, mean it.

I know everyone’s first reaction to those of us who willingly choose to jump out of a perfectly good plane is to tell us we’re crazy and that we must have a death wish, and to those people I have a few things to say;

1. You’ve clearly never seen those planes because I was ready to jump out the moment we took off – that shit is SKETCH
2. Everyone needs to feel alive and a rush of adrenaline now and then, it’s just that some require more extreme activities to achieve that than others
3. Don’t knock it ’till you try it
4. We’re all going to go someday. Though I don’t wish death on anyone in this world, it’s inevitable – we’re all going to meet our end one way or another. Although tragic and horrifying, Eldon went out doing something that he loved so passionately, he chose it as not only a profession but a lifestyle. He told me while we were spiraling down to the earth that he jumped, on average, 22 times A DAY, 7 days a week, weather permitting, and that he wishes it could be 122. May we all be so lucky to get up and do something we feel that passionate about every day.

Eldon was a man who loved what he did and who enjoyed life to the fullest, and to him I say thanks. Thanks for reminding me life’s too short to do anything BUT what you love and for getting me to the ground safely. You provided me with one of the greatest experiences I’ll ever know.

May the waves carry you home, Eldon.