Member-only story
How to Escape the Fear of Regret
Becoming the person you were meant to be
I almost died.
It only takes milliseconds to break your neck. Last year, my twin brother and I assembled a trampoline for my niece’s fourth birthday.
I ended up cutting my finger while reaching for a metal piece. But I didn’t care. Watching the smile on her face as she watched us put pieces together was worth it.
After about an hour, we finished it. Then I decided to do something I hadn’t done in almost thirteen years: land a backflip.
With family looking on, something inside told me I’d made a big mistake. My heart started racing. My palms were sweating as I bounced up and down.
Some stood, others sat at the birthday girl’s table nearby. With concern in his eyes (and an uneasy smile), an older brother said, “Maybe you should hold off on doing this. It’s been a while.”
“Psh, I got this,” I responded.
I said those words with my mouth, but my brain asked, “What the heck are you doing?”
It was too late. I was deep in it now.
I launched from my position and proceeded to swing my arms back. I hoped it would give me enough momentum to stick the landing.
