The Best Moment of My Life
The Best Moment of My Life is the first of my “Comfort Companion Stories.”
Our Glazov family love affair with flying small aircraft began when my husband, Jordan, took flying lessons in a piper cub airplane, while he was attending Northwestern University Law School; and I was studying at Ohio State University to become a teacher. Jordan thought it would be faster to fly to Columbus, Ohio to visit me, than driving 7 hour road trip.
After we graduated, were married and working, we saved our money to buy an airplane. In 1969, we purchased our first plane, a 1948 Ryan Navion A model N4593K.
We had fun flying with our friends in the Midwest Chapter of the Navion Society. Our aviation adventures were day or weekend get-aways in the Midwest and longer vacation trips in the US and Canada. Aviation fuel was only $0.40 a gallon at the time.
We loved every moment in 4593K. Our Navion was a low wing “flying tank.” It was to easy step up on the wing, slide the canopy open and climb into the cockpit. In fact, I was able to fly up until two weeks before our eldest son, Joshua, was born.
In fact, Joshua was only two weeks old when he went for his first “out-of the womb airplane ride.” We used to joke about Joshua pointing to the sky, searching for airplanes and not seeing the ground until he was four years old. His room was decorated with airplanes, he knew the names of each instruments on the instrument panel and could identify and differentiate most aircraft, by the time he was 3 years old.
Flying an airplane and becoming a pilot was Joshua’s passion.
In 1985, Joshua was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. While at the diabetes clinic, in Reno, Nevada, I had a private conversation with Joshua’s endocrinologist about Joshua’s love of aviation.
I vividly remember telling the doctor, “I am willing to do anything I have to do to help my son; however, I will not tell Joshua he cannot fly an airplane. I refuse to destroy his dream!”
I knew Joshua’s greatest upset and disappointment about diabetes would not be what most people would think. It would not be needles, shots and not being able to eat whatever he wanted.
It would be the medical restriction from becoming a Air Force or Navy pilot.
Joshua’s anguish lasted until in 1991. While attending George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Joshua decided the only way to fly was to ride in an airplane and then jump out it!
Skydiving became Joshua’s new passion!
I can recall the joy and excitement in Joshua’s voice when he called to tell his Jordan and me about his first sky diving experience.
“It was the best moment of my life.” he exclaimed.
I am proud to say, that in the fall of 2000, fifteen years after Joshua was diagnosed, he received his Jumpmaster Certification. At that time, he was only one of two tandem jumpmasters the United States, who had Type 1 diabetes.
Joshua made his dream come true!
He flew and he is still flying!
Sheila N. Glazov ~ Author ~ Speaker ~ Educator ~ Personality Type Expert
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