How I Got To Be Me
It was hard to choose an event that happened to me but, now I am sure that I find a good event. I am a person who like all the things that fly. In the night, I often dream that gravity stop to keep me grounded and I can fly away. As you know, I am in a wheelchair and it's not easy to take a flight in a plane when your in my condition. But, I realise my dream to fly for the first time in an helicopter. For my last journal of the session, I want to tell you my story about this great event happened to me earlier this years!
This springs, my mother ask me what I want for my birthday. I was very embarrassed by this question because I have all the gadgets and the material things that I wanted. So, I said to myself : Patrick, for your 25th anniversary try to find something original, something that you will remember during all your life. I said to myself a trip on helicopter! My mother said, you can not do that Patrick, give me an another idea. I said to my mom, why not! But, the conversation stop like that . I was very disappointed, I said to her buy me some clothes, it will be "OK". I know that I will never be able to walk because my legs are not strong enough but for flying I do not need my legs. It is very unfair, even flying was out of my reach.
But 4 days later, my mother told me that she will try to find a place to do that even if she was not very sure about that. What a pleasure to know that my parents understand my dreams.
Two weeks before my birthday, we were visiting my mothers family. And all my family give me for my birthday 200$, for my trip in helicopter. I was very surprised by this gift and of course very happy. Next Monday, my mother give me a bad news, the price for a trip in helicopter was between 500$ to 800$ for ½ hours. I was not believe that! I thought that it was a joke. I was very sad about that, my family give me money for it and I can't realise it.
I decided to search an another things to do like a trip to New-York or to take a plane, but at the end of April it was my end of session exams and I decided to put my money at the bank and realise an another dream during the summer. In April 23, I was celebrate my 25 years old anniversary with my family and friends and a finish my session in April 30th. I began my summer very enjoyed by the good times I would pass, but I was still thinking about my trip in helicopter. During the second week of may, my mother receive a call from a friend that knows an helicopter owner and that sell trips in helicopter for 350$.
Finally my mother and I decided to realise my dream, you can not know I much I was happy to do this. I called all my friends and family to announced this news, some of those was a little bit jealous and try to convince me to bring them with me. But I could not bring all of us. All the people was happy for me and wish me the best of luck and take some pictures. The day before I had some bad dream about helicopters crashing because of the motor and propeller broke, my body were cut in two. Ouf! What a night! But I keep my courage because nothing can change my mind when I was so close of my dream.
Wednesday the 21 of may 1998, the flight day. I had a great stress and I was very nervous. The helicopter was superb. It was all gold painted, I told to my mother to pinch me, I thought I was dreaming! Once inside it the pilot put ears protectors my head. "It takes a very powerful engine to make an helicopter fly. So it is also very noisy!" My mother was sit behind me. The giant propeller start to rotate, faster and faster. And suddenly we were leaving the ground! What an incredible sensation! We reach 2000 feet high in a very short range of time. At this altitude, the view of the world is very different, the Quebec city was appearing so small at this altitude! The pilot ask me: "Hey boy, tell me where you want to go." I saw the Frontenac castle, I tell him to go fly over it. We came very close over it.
After, I tell him to follow the St-Laurent River. The
Orleans Island was very full of colours. Never in my life I thought
that the Félix Leclerc country was so vast. The agricultural
lands with their many different culture was absolutely beautiful.
The very numerous private pools creates a lot of little blue spots
all over the ground, I found that very funny! At this altitude
we were able to see over the mountain and I can tell you that
there is an incredible number of lakes and rivers in our beautiful.
We came back in passing near of the Montmorency falls. All things
have an end, we finally land after ½ hours of pure enchantment.
I will always remember those moments where my highest dream came
true! If reincarnation exist, after my death, I would like to
had the chance to see the world from over. I would like to be
a bird!