Would You Jump Out of an Airplane With a 50% Chance of Survival?

Probably not, but we don’t think twice about getting married.

My friend and I sit bemoaning marital problems. We were once young and blindly starry-eyed for our respective spouses. We are now older relationship realists.

My friend delivers one powerful thought.

“Would you jump out of an airplane,” she says. “If they told you to have fun, go for it, it might work, you have a 50% chance of survival.”

“Oh my gosh,” I say. “I never thought about it that way.”

“Exactly,” she says. “Would you do it? Probably not.”

“Um, you’re right,” I say. “Probably not.”

I chuckle slightly and reflect largely on what she has said.

I never thought much about skydiving and marriage.

Much less, what the two have in common.

They both require a leap of faith and a degree of bravery. Heights might appear scarier but plenty of people find white dresses, rings, and a lifetime partner equally fear-inducing.

I did.

Although I am more afraid of airplanes and elevation.

Marriage seems easier to walk away from.

Silly me. Divorce proved otherwise. A skydiving adventure would have liberated me within a day. An unrelentingly abusive divorce lasted an excruciatingly long five years.

It appears it may take more bravery to leap out of the single life.

And into a ‘lifetime’ of marriage.

Studies vary on divorce statistics but it’s generally accepted that nearly 50% of marriages result in divorce. Interestingly, that doesn’t keep us from exchanging vows.

Skydiving and marriage both involve risk.

We’re just too young and starry-eyed to believe it.

And no one asks us a powerful question.

Would you jump out of an airplane with a 50% chance of survival?