I Jumped Off A Bridge for No Good Reason

Last summer I jumped off a perfectly good, non-burning 22’ high bridge into the 42 degree water of the White Salmon River near the Washington/Oregon border for no other reason than I wanted to. Our rafting guide pulled off to the side of the river and asked if we wanted to get out and jump.

My 13-year-old daughter was with me and I looked at her and saw her smile and I knew she wasn’t thinking about her answer. Her answer was yes. My answer was yes.

At the top of the bridge, my daughter didn’t even bat an eye or give it a second thought.

How free she was in that moment, how devoid of fear.

She has that kind of spirit. I can’t remember if I was ever like that but I admire the hell out of her for it. She just looked at me and smiled and said, “I guess this answers the question of if everyone was jumping off I bridge would I do it, too!” Then she laughed and jumped. She just jumped.

Jumping off that bridge was frightening, like the first time you do anything and you have no notion of what it will be like or how it will feel but you can’t stand another minute not knowing. So I jumped. That fall seemed to take forever and that water hit me hard. It was cold and it tasted so pure.

And I felt awake and alive and…