What's wrong with a little madness?

"You must be nuts!"

I've had that line thrown at me in more or less similar words innumerable times. But to have it said to me 5 times on a single day and that too on the occasion of my 24th birthday was a record setter of sorts. 

The reason was that I had just told these folks that I was going skydiving next weekend (My first jump too)! 

I didn't understand all that negativity. What's the compulsion to land back on earth in the same plane that had taken you up? What's so crazy about using a parachute once in a while? 

The 5th person to tell me that was a senior colleague, Doug, with whom I go out for a cigarette break. He's an incredibly jovial guy and being nearly 65 doesn't deter him from being as feisty as a 20 year old when it comes to guy talk. He is perpetually on the edge of retirement but never manages to take that final step.

Conversation under two umbrellas below the "smoking" tree just outside the J&J property limits as the tail end of Hurricane Kyle pelts down rain-  

Doug: "You must be nuts!"

Me: "Yeah! Just a little bit."

Doug: "I would never do that 'cause I am really afraid of heights."

Me: "Umm... Maybe I am too. I am all gung-ho about it now. Don't know how I'll feel though when I am standing in front of an open door with the Atlantic coast 10000 odd feet below me!!! All I can say is that I've been wanting to do this all my life and now I am going to do it!"

Doug: (Pauses) "Care for some advice from an old man?"

Me: "Uhh.... umm"

Doug: (He was going to advice me anyway) "In my life, I have no absolutely no regrets for what I have done. Every mistake has taught me something valuable. My only regrets are for what I've wanted to do but did not!"

Roger that, Doug! That's one piece of advice that is for keeps...