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So we\'92re driving along, a road in the middle of nowhere, a few trees now and then on each side of the road, mountains in the distance, there hasn\'92t been a town for ages and then you see this sign, not really a proper sign at all, just a piece of card with some words scribbled on it: \'91Bungee Jumping, 5km\'92, and an arrow pointing to the left. I can\'92t even see a road going left, and there\'92s certainly no sign of any bungee jumping, but you insist, the idea has taken you, you\'92re crazy about it, you\'92ve always wanted to do bungee jumping. I know, you think I\'92m boring because I don\'92t want to go.\
\'91Go on!\'92 you insist. \'91We don\'92t even have to do the bungee jumping, we can just go there and see what\'92s happening. It\'92ll be interesting!\'92 As usual, you get your way. I give in and off we go along this dirt road, for what seems much more than five kilometres to me. But then, after driving for ages, suddenly, out of nowhere, some trees appear, like a small wood.\
\'91This must be the place,\'92 you say. The road\'a0narrows into just a path, so we pull over to the side of the road. I couldn\'92t drive down there if I wanted to. As soon as we\'92re out of the car we can hear voices: people shouting and laughing. They sound like young people, they sound like they\'92re having a good time.\
We slowly walk to where the noise and people are. In the middle of the wood there\'92s a group of about 20 people. The youngest are about 15 or 16, while some of them are perhaps in their late 20s.\
They look up and see us, then say hello to us. They\'92re polite, friendly even, but I feel like we\'92re interrupting a private party \'96 gatecrashing something they\'92re doing.\
Once there had been a river running through the middle of the forest, but now there was just a dry ditch. It doesn\'92t matter; nobody is interested in swimming. A metal bridge crosses the ditch. The bridge doesn\'92t look too stable. I think the kids had built it themselves. There\'92s a big group of the kids in the middle of the bridge. They\'92re all leaning over and looking down into the ditch. They\'92re all shouting and laughing. Another person is hanging from a long piece of elastic rope in the middle of the ditch. He is laughing like he is mad. The other people slowly pull him up to the bridge. As the guy comes to the top he looks exhilarated and shocked, but also very, very happy.\
I look at you and can see what you\'92re thinking.\
\'91I want to do that!\'92 you say. I knew it. And you know what I want to say: \'91Danger!!! Damage to internal organs! Safety procedures! Damage to your eyes! The rope can burn you! You can get tangled up in the rope! You can dislocate your arm or your leg! It\'92s certain that you will get bruises on your arms! What happens if the rope breaks? Who knows who these people are? Have you any idea how far away from a hospital we are?\'92 I don\'92t say it, but, yes, you\'92re right, I am thinking it. I don\'92t say anything, because I know that you won\'92t have answers for any of my questions. You know that I\'92m right, really.\
You\'92ve always been a lot more adventurous than me. I know you think I\'92m boring and safe and always worried about danger and risk.\
Perhaps you\'92re right. Perhaps I am too boring.\
I don\'92t know why people do it. I really don\'92t know. I remember when I was a kid, my friend had a bicycle that had no brakes. We used to take his bike without brakes and go down a big hill on it. I think about that, that old bike so many years ago, and I remember how I felt then.\
I breathe in, close my eyes, don\'92t think about anything. I jump. I think I\'92m going forever and wonder when I\'92ll stop. But it feels great. I feel scared and thrilled and alive. Then there\'92s a pull and I\'92m going back up again, and, yes, it is dangerous, but, yes, it is thrilling. But the most exciting, thrilling, wonderful thing of all is seeing your face as I come back up to the bridge.\
Chris Rose}