Diving through the sky at nearly 3 miles up and having a moment

Up at 14,000 feet in the air and being completely present in the moment.

That’s one of the unique things skydiving instructor David Mathews says of this very adventurous sport.

“You asked what I like about skydiving,” Mathews said in answering the first question posed to him by The Sun Times News, which reached out to him to learn more about opportunities for those interested in skydiving.

“Well, the pace of life today results in us very rarely ever being truly 100 percent present in the moment,” he said. “Our attention is fractured like a shattered window pane by all of the activities and pressures of modern life. We are constantly bombarded by things vying for our attention. Many of us unwittingly contribute to this mayhem by spending way too much time on our cell-phones and social media. We manage these multiple demands on our attention by multi-tasking, and after a while being distracted and inattentive seem normal. It may be normal by today’s standards, but it is not healthy, nor fulfilling.”

Mathews is a local skydiving instructor here in Michigan. He’s Student Program Director, at Skydive Tecumseh, which bills itself as one of the best spots in the state, and he’s also Owner of Mathews Adventure Services, LLC. He provides Skydiving Instruction, Rock and Ice Climbing Instruction and Guiding, and Adventure Travel Guiding Services. He’s also currently seeking a position as a National Director on the USPA Board of Directors.

David Mathews. photo courtesy www.mathewsadventureservices.com/

“Although you wouldn’t know it by the way we routinely divide our attention between multiple tasks, there is something deep within us that craves being in the moment,” Mathews said. “Throughout the ages, different philosophies and different religions have given different names to this. Whatever you choose to call it, experiencing being in the moment by skydiving can help you to get in touch with how truly valuable and enjoyable this is.”

He added, “Once you have experienced truly being 100 percent present in the moment, you will crave it even more. The fact that each and every skydive can induce in us this state of being is one of the most positive qualities of skydiving, but it is by no means the only one.”

For the past five years, he’s been one of the skydiving instructors at Skydive Tecumseh, which is actually located in Napoleon, just outside of Jackson. He’s the new Director of the Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) student program there. He said they're interested in getting the word out on what they say is their exceptional student training program. Mathews said many people are familiar with tandem skydiving, but not so with the AFF program that teaches people to jump solo.

Mathews made his first skydive in 1980 while a student at Michigan State University. Later, he went in the U.S. Army and became Airborne, Ranger, and Special Forces (Green Beret) qualified. He eventually ended up leading a Special Forces HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) Team. He said their primary means of “getting where we were going was freefall parachuting.”

Now he trains people to become skydivers.

In thinking about getting the word out, he said he wants “everyone to know that in addition to being a tremendously fun sport, skydiving is a great community of people. You can literally go to any dropzone anywhere in the world and be welcomed as a skydiver. The community is diverse, welcoming, inclusive, and very much a family.”

The one question going back forth for me the writer when thinking about someone interested in learning to skydive is the basic one.

Fear.

“Finally, you asked ‘what if I'm afraid.’ Well, taken together, the joy we experience while being fully in the moment while skydiving along with the benefit of being in community with such a wonderful group of people motivates us as skydivers. Sure, there are other wonderful aspects of the sport. For example, some skydivers are motivated by competition events; others are motivated by the constant challenge of learning new skills and techniques. But underneath it all, there is unequalled joy in both the activity and in the community.”

Mathews teaching. photo courtesy of www.mathewsadventureservices.com

“If you are not yet a skydiver, these two things may be drawing you into the sport as well. Still, you are very likely wondering, ‘But what if I’m afraid?’

The quick answer, he said is that if you are afraid to jump out of an airplane “you are perfectly normal.”

“It is completely normal to feel fear,” said Mathews. “Recognizing and taking appropriate action because of fear can be far more than useful, it can save your life. But -- and this is crucially important -- even though fear is natural and even though fear can alert us to and help us avoid very real dangers, fear must be managed. Dealing with fear productively is one of the most important life skills that we can develop.”

He summed it, “Throughout the ages, it has been widely recognized that to be ruled by fear is oppressive to the human spirit, and contrary to human growth and development. Many truly wise thinkers, philosophers, authors, and leaders have written about the benefits of controlling fear, and the courageous mindset necessary for this. The ancient Greek writer Thucydides was not just a historian, but was also a keen observer of the human condition and of the forces that influence individuals and societies. Approximately 2500 years ago, he wrote: ‘The secret to happiness is freedom... And the secret to freedom is courage.’ Thucydides.”

For those interested in learning more, go to check out www.skydivetecumseh.com
or www.mathewsadventureservices.com.