It was just God and Me and God.
I guess that’s the best way to describe what it was
like for me in my first zip lining experience. I have seen the videos and heard
people talk about it for years but it was never something that I thought about
or even considered. I guess I had just put in the Steve Harvey “Wonderful
Weekend” category. Steve said, only white folk would “tie a kite to they’re ass
and jump off a cliff”, and zip lining was kinda like that.
Nevertheless, after celebrating a birthday and
seeing things a bit differently, I wanted to check some things off of my bucket
list. So at the last minute, I jumped in my truck and headed over to the
Tallahassee Museum for Zip Lining!
After getting there, the cost was pretty nominal, so
I paid the fee and I was ready to go. It took about 10 minutes to get trained
in the group of about 15 new zip liners.
Hook this to that -- this way. Don’t step on this.
Keep your eyes on that. The requisite safety talk
 |
| Getting Started |
Once certified – we headed for the first ladder.
Unlike other people in the group, I was there alone.
I had asked 5 or 6 friends to join me and they had all chickened out. I wasn’t
about to let that stop my progress. So to amplify the experience, I let other
members of the group go on ahead and I was the last one up. Just me in the
trees. 
Being up there was exhilarating. I imagined what
early man must have left like. Just being alone in nature. It was a rush that I
think I had only experienced in being alone at the beach. There were no actual
words said but the moments that I experienced spoke volumes. With my phone on
airplane mode, functioning only as a camera, I started my way through the
trees.
Although I was attached to a cable, I felt that I was
there alone in the moment. In fact I was just 60 or so feet from the ground.
Still, in that moment the air seemed crisper, the sky seemed bluer and the
tress seemed greener. It was like experiencing them all for the first time.
As my journey continued, a young kid at the front of
the group was a little scared to take the first jump. It held up the course for
about 30 minutes but it gave me time to enjoy the moment. Everything happens
for a reason. I wished him well as he found his way down via an escape ladder.
Finally I made my way to the first of several zip lines. I will admit, there
was a little trepidation at first but once I was sailing, I FELT FREEDOM!
As the course ended, if almost on cue, a gentle rain
started to fall. It was like I was being baptized and cleansed as I made my
journey back to Earth.
Later, I spoke to my mother and told her about the
journey. She said, “what you just experienced is faith! If you have the faith
that the wires would hold you up, then you have no choice but to have faith
that GOD will get you through anything. Just have that kind of faith!” Prophetic.
That Sunday afternoon was an experience that I needed.
Something that I won’t ever forget. I suppose for me, zip lining was my church
in the trees. Just God and ME and God!
