LIFE ON THE EAST COAST
“When do I start running?” I ask, panicking. “You will know,” says the calm voice of the woman next to me, as she rechecks the harness around my waist one final time.
“How will I know?”
“Oh, any moment now! Keep your hands high up. Look ahead. Run!”
Before I can comprehend the series of instructions, the rope tied to the harness is pulled, and with a sudden jolt, I am racing ahead. A few steps into the run, the parachute that had been weighing me down lifts up, and my bare feet are suspended in the air before I know it.
I am flying. The sun is melting behind me, and the
