Back in  my youth  I would often take enormous risks , with hope to reap small  rewards from  girls .

  On a beautiful summer day I took a  few girls I knew from  school  to the top of an enormously high cliff overlooking water .  
 While we were enjoying the scenery  one of the girls jokingly  dared me to jump off the cliff  .  Without hesitation, I took off my shirt and shoes and jumped   .  

  On my way down while my life was flashing before my eyes I thought to myself , I better break my fall or the water might  break my neck .  
  I raised my hands straight above my head while  pointing  my toes towards the water , keeping my body  as straight as an arrow  .  When I hit I could feel barely a ripple ,  gliding  down  what seemed like a hundred feet .
 When I swam up to the surface and smiled , the girls were looking at me clapping their hands and giggling .  
  I climbed back to the top and joined my friends for lunch , thoroughly enjoying their praise and admiration , while they kept  repeating  how  brave and awesome I was .  
 
  After lunch the girl who  dared me to jump said , your jump  was incredible  are you  
  brave  enough to dive ?  
  I walked  to the edge staring  silently  at the water below . One of the  girls told  me repeatedly , don't  dive ,  it's too dangerous to dive from such a high distance .
  Being the stubborn guy I was back then , I didn't listen . I concentrated for a couple minutes while my mind was telling me don't do it  ,  diving from this height  is much too risky  .  I  finally quit listening to my hesitant brain  and  dove off the cliff .  
  On the way down I tried to align my  body in as straight a line as I possibly could .  
 When I hit I felt like I dove into concrete  .  After going below the surface  for maybe ten feet this time , I struggled   to the top  . I could barely move my arms enough to swim  , my back felt like it was broken and my legs were numb .  
  I barely made it to a large flat rock close to shore .
  After a couple hours  while waiting for the girls to climb down I felt much better , barely able to walk  and  extremely sore .
 I made  the journey  back to my car without any help though I was not well enough  to reap any rewards from the girls that night .  

    Soon after that day  I started dating the girl who dared me to jump and  dared me to dive .  
   
  One night after a torrential down pour we were  coming back from a party , a small bridge on the road  at the bottom of a valley was covered with water . It looked like maybe a foot of water or a foot and a half at most  .   I stopped,  started to turn around and take the long way home . My GF said  don't be afraid of a little water , you can make it through that no problem .  
  I told her she is too much of a fool  for me to waste my time  ,  she should find an attorney to date  , they are always  looking for stupid people .  
   I  finished my U Turn and  took her home the long way .  
 
That was the first time  I learned to use my Faith in my  Higher Power .
 
 The next day I called the girl that warned me not to dive off the cliff .  
   
  After we had dated for a year I asked her if she would marry me .

 She said   " I really like you more than any guy I've met   , unfortunately you are too reckless to marry ,  but thank you  for asking ".  
 
   I can't find  fault in  anyone,  for believing and listening   to their own  Higher power.  
   
 

 

-- Modified on 3/13/2014 12:27:00 PM

But one can't become so delusional to the point of ignoring common sense.  Getting bit by a snake after thinking he's the chosen one