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THE SAME ONLY DIFFERENT- Eric Hagfors back at the St Paul hill- back in the air!- after an 8 year hiatus.

ERIC HAGFORS
ehagfors@gmail.com

January 29th, 2016- The Master

Making the drive to the St. Paul Ski Club, the butterflies arose as if on cue. Vespers of a past life flickered in the background: the tan interior of a Grand Cherokee, the foamy aroma of a Descente jump suit, a passenger…

It was like pulling up in a halfway broken time machine.  Many people appeared unchanged in a decade: identical hat, jacket, and humor.  Others had produced offspring and were now inhabiting an entirely different universe.  The place itself seemed immune to age. What a wonderful family to come home to. They seemed pleased by my attendance.

In honesty I was half terrified.  This dream, this thing in my life removed and re-realized, was now culminating.  There had been work, sacrifice, pain, joy… I had rebuilt my life and my way of thinking. For this, right now. What now, what after?

Belief prevailed.  Autopilot flicked on and ritual heightened to spiritual. I trudged up the trestle, thinking of my friend Dave, all my friends, the passage of time and the sting of regret.  

All at once, there I was.  Back up top. I poked at my ipod, took a deep breath and let go.

NOTE- To see a really cool video of Eric’s jump (and tribute to Dave Edlund)- click on image below or this link- https://youtu.be/OgnzHg5JAkQ