Must be Jam 'cuz Jelly Don't Shake Like That... especially in a wind tunnel

Have I mentioned that I am somewhat (seriously) afraid (terrified) of swimming?  It all comes down to the fear of having my mouth, nose and ears fill with water.  I feel suffocated when my face is submerged.  Friday night was David’s birthday.  After stuffing ourselves with sushi we waddled off to the new indoor skydiving dive in Tukwila. 

It turns out that having wind blowing at speeds around 105 mph has the same effect as swimming under water.  Yes, I felt as though I was suffocating in a wind tunnel… and I had a blast.  (get it?  I had a blast!)

Here are some life lessons, reinforced at iFly.

1. Relax and your body will be less buffeted by the wind than if you are stiff and resist.  We can’t always change what comes our way, but we can lean into it and respond with grace.
2. When heading in the general direction of a wall, you need to respond.  Slow movements are superior to quick movements. Small, measured movements allow your body position to adjust to the wind and buy you time for additional small, necessary adjustments.  Hasty, quick movements cause big, quick reactions and it is almost impossible for a novice to respond.  You end up pinging against walls, flailing in an attempt to regain equilibrium. Reactions, in life, have similar outcomes.  Unless the situation is really life and death, it doesn’t hurt to make small, careful moves and wait for a response.
3. Wind moving that fast into your face will clear you sinuses faster than any medication available on the market.  Not much of a life lesson there, I just find it interesting.
4. Your face is going to wiggle, jiggle, flutter and flop. Keeping your chops closed seems to keep the slobber contained. It was impossible for me to stifle a grin… especially when the instructor was laughing and cheering me on.  The instructors seem to embrace this silly aspect.  While they do not let their own spit fly in the wind tunnel, they do open their mouths to fill with air and take on funny shapes.  So, why not just embrace the silly and put on a show?
5. You can’t take the wind personally.  It blows.  That’s what wind does.  The man in the booth, turning the knob that controls wind speed, well that’s just his job too.  Earthquakes happen, people die, it rains out a game, people complain.  These things happen, and sometimes, we experience the brunt of the aftermath.  All we can do is hang loose and ride the wind.  With that, we are back to lesson number 1: relax.