Falling Forward
On a hot summer day, the hardest part about jumping off a bridge into the river below is taking the leap itself. The footbridge downtown that spans the river is an adrenaline seeker’s dream (and a law enforcer’s nightmare). The river slows into a deep, mellow current right under the bridge and flat, rocky banks make it a perfect place to swim to shore. As summer temperatures climb steadily into the nineties, there is no better way to escape the sun’s scorching intensity than to submerge into the cool river. So, on a day so hot that moisture seems to get sucked right out of the air, a friend calls to invite me to go swimming, and saying yes is easy. The beach is crowded by the time we get there in the evening, a throng of people clustering against the bridge railing as one after the other dives into the water. The sun is low in the sky, gleaming on the river and casting everyone in a mild glow. I haven’t jumped off this bridge since high school, and as I clamber over the railing, line m...