In case you needed another reason to never go bungee- cord jumping, this weekend Erin Langworthy went bouncing 365 feet over a river in Zimbabwe. Only instead of boinging, her bungee cord snapped -- and she went plunging into the river below. Eeek!
In the stomach-lurching video you can see her cord fly back up after it snapped -- and a few sickening seconds later Erin plunges into the water below. But she survived! After living through the impact -- she says it felt like being slapped all over -- she still had to detangle herself from the rest of the bungee cord, avoid the crocodiles, and swim to shore. But she made it! Wow, this is exactly the kind of inspirational story I need to hear on a Monday morning.
I mean, what a metaphor for life: You've got your plans, and then suddenly your cord snaps over crocodile-infested waters! Are you going to survive this? YES YOU ARE! Why? Because you are prepared and determined -- and also because maybe it's not as bad as it looks. Erin actually remembered her safety training when she hit the water, and that's one reason she was able to swim to shore.
We all take risks in our lives -- maybe not crazy-ass risks like bungee-cord jumping over crocodile-infested waters, but other risks like getting married and having kids. And there are no guarantees that it will all work out. Someone could get cancer, or get hit by a car, or have a personality disorder you didn't see coming. If I sat and thought about everything in my life that could go wrong I'd be paralyzed for the rest of the day.
And no wonder. Doesn't it seem like the news is filled with tragic worst-case scenarios every day? We see a lot of human suffering. What a relief to see a survival story! I want to carry this around in my mind, so the next time something scary or disappointing happens I can remember -- hey, Erin survived her plunge and I can survive this. I just have to keep my head and keep moving forward.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Have you survived any disasters in your life? What kept you going?
Image via YouTube