On The Wisdom of Base Jumping…
Base Jumping Off Of One World Trade Center
Well, it’s certainly nothing like swimming the English Channel
she said with absolutely no hint of irony and not a shadow
of humor. “Who would want to base jump
off of One World Trade Center anyway? What
a dumb idea.” As if swimming the 21-plus miles from England
to France in 60-degree water for over 14 hours
was a much smarter one. Ha! he thought. If base jumpers
are now competing with English Channel swimmers
for dumb ideas in this world, the base jumpers would win,
hands down, and simply for efficiency. Channel swimmers, well
those stubborn, purposeful swimmers, they’d still be stuck
in the water, swimming stroke after stroke in the dark and aiming
vaguely for France while the base jumpers –
those who made it down alive anyway –
would have been long gone, drinking up a storm
at some nondescript local bar serving cheap beer, waiting,
and waiting for news of all those swimmers crawling up the beach
goggle-eyed, wobbly on their feet, and with lips too salted
to speak about their great swim from England to France.
– Erica L. Moffett
Can’t we assume that any worthy challenge includes a “dumb idea” that pushes the envelope of common sense and safety? If the Wright bros had stuck with common sense… If Hillary had thought Everest was just too big… If George Washington hadn’t risked the dumb idea of fighting a trained British army, we might still be using pounds. So I’m wondering what dumb idea challenges me today.