Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Pure Stupidity

Picture a hot summer day, and a group of teenage friends spending the day at the beach. I would say about 15 kids-guys and girls. The sun is shining, the waves are crashing, a volleyball game to your right, Frisbee playing to the left, and some Metallica/Led Zepplin/Def Leppard/Doors etc. playing on the boom box. Sandwiches and sodas from the deli...I mean, what more can you need. After a fun filled day at the beach, we head home. Somehow, someway, the cars begin to stop at the center of this very bridge. The kids start piling out...
"Hey...wouldn't it be crazy if we jumped?"
"I'm not jumping..your nuts!"
"Oh don't be such a ______."
"Who's going first?" (None of the girls even entertained the idea, this was a discussion between the guys.)
"I'll go.."

And down he went. Brian Fay. It seemed like forever, and then it seemed even longer for him to come out from under the water. As soon as his head popped up, down went Farracco, number 2. Next thing I new, number 3 was on their way down, and it was ME. I got so caught up in the rush of the moment, that I just went for it. What the heck was I thinking? The drop your wondering? 22 feet. The swim to shore you ask? 88 feet. Heading in the OPPOSITE direction of the current that is. Now that I'm all grown up, I would NEVER do something so stupid. We all almost drowned that day. We were battling crabs, and seaweed, and the current, and we were fatigued and exhausted after what felt like the million year swim back to the shore. I was trying to swim forward, but yet I was traveling sideways. Brian finally piggybacked me to the shore. Pure stupidity. I pray my children never do something as stupid as this. Something I would never do again. If you want to be a dare devil, do it in a controlled area. Para sail. I've done that, and it's fun, and safe...er....I would think. Now that I'm a parent, I look at it like this:

They had no idea I was doing this. What if I had gotten hurt, or worse, and they got a phone call or a knock on the door that day. Over what? Jumping off some stupid bridge for 30 seconds of thrills, and a swim that could have been my last. Again, pure stupidity.

Yes, that is the actually bridge. Smith's Point Bridge, Long Island, New York.

1 comment:

Marie Marsicano said...

For the record our Mother still gives her a slap to this day when we relive this adventure.

No worries about my Amber ever doing this - she would need someone on either side of her to hold her hand.... If she even goes over a bridge - I mean this kid gets excited when she makes the full ride on the merry-go-round on the bench!!!

Alex - well.......