| I'm the least qualified to contribute. So far a total of three
launches,
| perhaps two hours in the air, maybe a little less. But you can
quote my
| name if you wish, if you want to use anything I have to say in
answer to
| your question.
|
| Life is a fast, complex, crowded and noisy thing on the ground.
You
| can't see the wood for the trees, you can't hear yourself think.
| Everybody and everything wants something from you. Hanging at the
top of
| a thermal just below the dewpoint at 4000 feet with nothing but
the
| whisper of the wind and the cloud dappled sky to embrace you is
the
| closest sensation to peace, to complete perspective that I've
found. The
| complexity, the crowds, the noise - all gone. You are simply
alive. A
| thing of the sky.
|
| Does it need anymore explanation than that?
|
| I've only just started. The dream of doing this solo is still a
long,
| long way off. I'm naive and a little idealistic. For some reason,
it's
| taken me thirty years to reach what is only the starting point.
But I
| can't remember ever not wanting to do this, and have always been
baffled
| by my earthbound friends that are most comfortable with their feet
on
| the ground and incredulous that anybody would harbour such a dream
and
| ambition.
|
| --
| Bill Gribble, UK

Beautifully put, Bill . .