If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?

Hello to my blogging faithful!........all two of you :)

Did your mom ever tell you, in response to you doing something dumb because your friends did it, "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it, too?"  Yeah, I heard that saying more than once growing up.  So before I go any further, I must issue my disclaimer: What you are about to read is a stunt done on a non-closed course by someone who is a professional......just not a professional stuntman.  Please, under no circumstances, do not try this at home.....or any where else, for that matter!

In less than 3 months I am getting married.  My fiancee, Christina, is having her first bridal shower tomorrow and one of her bridesmaids wanted to do a version of the "NewlyWed Game" for the shower.  She wanted to have a list of questions that would be asked to the bride-to-be.  Christina would answer how she thought I would answer, and then they would show a video taped answer from me.  One of the points to this game was for it to be a surprise for Christina.  So this bridesmaid (let's call her "Mel") contacts me and asks if I would be up for this.  I said I would and we planned on meeting one evening with her brother to film while my fiancee was away in New York. 

So we ended up in downtown Indianapolis by the canals, which is where I proposed.  We got some footage standing right where I popped the question.  And then we started to head out to the next location.  Mel asks me if I want to get any other footage down here and I tell her no.  So as we are heading back to the car, we cross over a bridge and she says, " I want some of the questions to be questions that there may not have set answer to, like: woiuld Jared jump off a bridge?"  The light bulb went off in my head.  I peered over the side of the bridge and thought, "I've made jumps close to this height before, I can do this!" So I turn to Mel and say "That's a great idea!  Let's do it!"  Mel said, "Do what?", and I said, "I'll jump off the bridge"

As you can imagine, Mel's response was something along the lines of "Are you serious?  You'll get yourself killed".  I surveyed the area and saw at the far end of the bridge a set of steps that went down to the canal.  I told Mel that I could climb up on the stone railing and jump down to the first landing on the steps.  It was about a 9-10 foot drop, one that I have jumped from before (when I was at least 10 years younger and 50 pounds lighter).  So I climbed up as Mel asked me more than one time "I you sure?  I don't think this is a good idea...."  I reassured her that everything would be fine.  Mel started filming and I said, "Would Jared jump off a bridge?  Yes, he would!"  and then leaped off the rail to the landing. 

Everything went as planned....until I landed.  As soon as I touched down and went to roll, I felt fire flow across the bottom of my right foot, around my ankle, and up the back of my leg.  Oh crap!  Did I just tear my achillies's tendon?!?  I lay there for a moment and then tried to get up and put weight on it.  Pain instantly went through my ankle like it had been stepped on by a brontosaurus and down I went.  Mel and her brother came to the edge, looked over, and asked if I was alright.  I, of course, said what any tough, macho man would say: "No!  I think I hurt myself really bad!" 

So to make this story shorter than "War and Peace", I didn't tear my achillies' tendon.  Instead, I broke my heel bone into a few different parts.  My foot swelled to the size of an Olympic swimming pool.  The bruising was pretty brutal, too, making my foot look like I had been stomping on grapes for about a month straight.  So now I can't bear weight on it for 6 weeks, and will have to be in an aircast boot for 2-3 months.  Yay me.......

Oh well, if that is the worst thing that happens to me this year, I think that I can call it a good year :)  Thanks for reading to the bottom.  As my sister in law would say "Daily bread, daily strength".....and a good icing of the ankle.