Monday I spoke in Commerce, Texas. Thursday I spoke to CalState leaders at San Diego State.
Mary joined me after being delayed 24 hours by the snowstorm in New York.
Today was a day to relax. With San Diego Superintendent Cindy Marten as our guide, we toured San Diego. She drove us to the Torrey Pines area, where there are stunning cliffs. We got out of the car to watch the paragliders. I had to do it. I have wanted to do it for years. I never have the chance before. And here it was: desire and opportunity combined! I signed up. I am now licensed as a pilot for the next 30 days.
Max was my co-pilot. A very handsome young man who promised to return me in one piece. The takeoff was a little challenging. We ran towards the edge of the 300′ cliff (after a brief blowback that crumpled my operated knee), and suddenly we were airborne. Soaring.
We were in the air for about 20 minutes. This is what got edited down.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Congrats!
Video showed error, come back later message.
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I just tried it and it worked for me
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HOORAY for YOU, Diane. You rock.
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Beautiful, Diane.
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Video worked , and beautifully so. Thanks for sharing a dream come true!
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what a wonderfully courageous undertaking… it’s so pleasing to see you enjoy this opportunity. Congratulations!
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My brain thinks it is about 40 years old. My body is 78. I still don’t believe it. The age, that is.
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Diane,
I totally understand your little ‘lark’. I’m 74.
Let me tell you a little story.
Several years ago, I had a little convertible sports car, the model that held the slalom record for many years. I also had another car of the same make, but a later year, and I found that I was driving the second car almost exclusively. I decided to sell the first one.
My neighbor’s wife wanted the car, and a ‘trade’ was offered. I would give him the car, and he would provide free firewood for the rest of my life. It seemed like a good deal, however I didn’t want to give him a defective machine, so I took it out on a little ‘test spin’ the morning I was going to deliver it and, wouldn’t you know it, because the car had been sitting so long the tires had begun to harden… and, the road had a glaze of moisture that was barely visible.
And, so, I lost traction at a speed that was far over the limit, spun off the road, banged into a wall of mud several times and then flipped the vehicle.
I was still alive, but had to crawl across the car to squeeze through the broken window on the passenger side to get out because the top and windshield on the drivers side had be squished to an almost closed condition. Upon making the ’emergency exit’, I saw someone who had seen the event from several hundred yards away walking toward me, and his first words were, “Wow, I never expected to see anyone coming out of that alive!”
But, here’s the lesson… At no time during the event did I experience fear or pain (pain came a day or two later). When the car was flipping around, I only experienced irritation at having bashed up a gift to a friend (honestly, the firewood is not a major expense). It was, easily, an event that could have (and, perhaps, should have) resulted in my death.
And, so, people of our age understand that death is near. I now understand that in the case of a ‘violent’ death’, I will probably be only be mildly irritated before the great blackness. Had you (somehow) fallen into the sea, I think you would have had the same epiphany on your way down.
What I fear, now, is a slow descent with increasing pain and disillusionment. Perhaps that, too, is a phase of life.
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Woohoo Diane!!! Good for you!
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Marla, trying to be BadAss!
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Diane, this was truly inspiring. I am far younger than you and far more afraid. Jeez! If you can do it, I should be able to, but still can’t muster up the guts despite my desire to fly as such!
Any advice on how to toughen up? The flight and feeling of freedom seemed like a beautiful dream!
And just to conclude, I must say with no pun intended how much you lift everyone up and make them soar in their own and collective advocacy for public education!
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Norwegian,
I am afraid of heights. But somehow this experience did not set off my fear of heights. I never felt as if I might fall. I felt the exhilaration of soaring and freedom. At one point we flew along a pack of pelicans. Wow! Another time we passed a hawk.
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Exhilarating. The Eagle has soared and landed. Love it to pieces.
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WONDERFUL! Love it!
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How exciting! Thank-you for sharing this fun event.
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Diane, Max, and Woody! I’m so glad you fulfilled this dream; on to the next one😊
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Good for you, Diane! For me? No way!
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What a fantastic video. You, Diane, are truly badass!!!!
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this was wonderful to watch!!! congratulations on a dream fulfilled…and you are VERY badass in so many ways…. ^0^ (BAT signal 🙂 )
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Wow, now I want to do it. LOL
That area offered an eye view of nature candy.
Thanks for sharing.
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WOW! What a wonderful experience to be able to check off your bucket list! What’s next?
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So cool!!!
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Happy Day!! The joy is in the journey!
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Amazing, stunning and incredible. I was going to say WOW but that word appears to have been taken. It’s official, Diane is super woman.
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I knew you were our fearless leader! You are truly amazing!
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Dear Dr. Ravitch:
Congratulations on your fantastic and fun-filled dream!
I really admire your bucket list. My shipwreck is nothing to compare to your a fun-filled
paragliding because of the different courage – spirited trip vs. life and death trip.
I would never go on shipwreck trip if I ever had a choice to stay back and fight for my freedom.
I sincerely pray God who will bless you with success to all of your strategies which sustain educators’ hope and strengthen American Public Education for all.
Very respectfully yours,
Lots of love and tons of respect,
May
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May,
I would not have had your courage to venture out onto the ocean.
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Dear Dr. Ravitch:
You are very humble. In life and death situation, people will react differently for survival.
You have everything in peace. You set a great spirit at your own expense of precious time, knowledge, experience and your own well-being to promote people’s courage and rekindle people’s spirit and joy.
We all need your warrior spirit – the bucket list – in order to restore our belief in humane spirit for integrity, true love, altruism and respect for humanity.
You just discover me as your secret admirer for life.
Very respectfully yours,
XOXOOOOX
May
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Holy Cow… You are amazing… I could not do that.
I wish I could have been there to take photos.
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Susan, yes you could!
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Wonderful, Dr. Ravitch. We only live once. I’m I’m happy seeing you enjoy it.
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Wow! Fabulous! Good for you!
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Very cool. Love that moment when you take off.
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Me too. Felt like I was shuffling off that mortal coil.
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Good for you and well-deserved.
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Bravo Diane! I’ve stood one those cliffs in 1970s when our son was born in LaJolla hospital. And walked the beach below. U R fabulous & video brought back memories!!
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Whohoo Diane! That was awesome to see! I am adding it to my bucket list. Glad you’re back on terra firma to keep us up to date on education issues.
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Mazel Tov!
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Go Diane!! Fantastic. Bob and Carole
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Wonderful spontaneity and risk taking. Next challenge, jumping from an airplane, parachuting to earth?
At 65 I went up In a hot air balloon. That was my last year of eligibility. No passengers over 65 allowed. Insurance company rules.
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Good for you. You continue to encourage us…in so many ways.
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Yeah for you Diane! Great video!
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To all readers in this thread:
I would be frank to admit that I confronted danger for my own welfare. I worked three jobs to save money for my own goal. I strove for degree not for my knowledge, but my own egoistic satisfaction
Wealth, fame and fortune have never been nor will ever be my intention. However, I have sought for true friendship, and the TRUE BELIEF in humanity. My mother has read my ideal since I was so young. She instilled in my mind that being honesty, integrity and compassionate in all life and death situations will always be a worthy cause.
IMHO and through all hardships, I could confirm that being divergent but compassionate needs a logical mind, determination, knowledge and experience. Otherwise, it is only words and no deeds; and it will yield to be manipulative, coward and dictatorial for people who are greedy, egoistic, untalented and bullying. Back2basic
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“This Land is Your Land”
The view from above is really grand
And gives perspective on this land
It lets us see that all is one
Our legacy, when day is done
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This land is yours
This land is mine
This land is ours
For all of time
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Got tears watching this. My mom was a courageous lady who kept changing and growing and facing down fears right into elderly years. Your zest for life inspires me just as she did.
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More guts than me, a helicopter and balloon are my limits. Looked great
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I’m not even good on business or first class. I love and at the same time hate heights.
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GOOD for you, Diane. Congratulations
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Wow! Welcome to San Diego, Diane! You’re always one of the high spots in my reading lists every day! I fly high , in part, due to your insightful writings!
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Wow and wonderful. Good for you!
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Very cool.
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Crazy!!! In a good way!
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That adrenaline was good for all of us!
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I just teared up a little watching you soar over my hometown. That must have been exhilarating! Congrats!
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As always, you’re an inspiration to us all!
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Oh my goodness! How wonderful for you! I’m sure it was life changing. My husband did that 2 years ago- after recovering from brain surgery. He LOVED it! Best to you! And that you for your work. 🙂
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Amazing – you are so courageous in all aspects of your life, Diane. Thank you for sharing.
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It’s,a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Super Diane!
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