因为我能行！　Because I Can！

You only live once；but if you live it right, once is enough.

～Adam Marshall

“What was I thinking?I must be some kind of fool！”I'm a fifty-three-year-old grandma crouched in an awkward position reminiscent of giving birth, perched before an open gate on a zip line platform high up in the hills above Maui's northwest coast, seemingly to plunge to my death. Again, I asked myself，“What was I thinking?”

Instead of living in the moment of joyous anticipation of flying like an eagle, I was experiencing some setbacks. I mean, coming in dead last in the walk up a hill while carrying a twenty-pound zip line cable trolley, and smelling like a goat, was mortifying and certainly didn't qualify as one of my finer moments.The brochure didn't say anything about that little hike.And the red welts growing exponentially on my shin from invisible flesh eating entities that burned, really burned, were certainly unattractive.Though, to be honest, the attack of the no-see-ems earned me the moniker of the groups“good sport”which I liked.But so far, this adventure wasn't fun-it was crazy.The near jarring of my teeth from their sockets on my first crash landing reminded me, this would not be good for me three more times.

I could have slept in, I could have had Sunday brunch with friends, and I could have taken a beautiful morning walk on one of Maui's incredible beaches. But Nooooooooooo；I had to fly through trees；I had to soar like an eagle；I had to stretch myself and do something I've never done before.Why?

Because I could！Because for the first time in my adult life, I met the weight requirements to go zip lining, and I had a point to prove-I CAN do anything I set my mind to. And if I can do it-so can any other overweight person on the planet who wants to change her life；hence, the childbirth crouch high atop a zip line.

I wasn't at my goal weight yet, but I gained admission into this activity through 93 pounds kicked to the curb. While I was working on losing the rest of my physical weight by incorporating activities like zip lining into my life, I was also working hard on losing the weight in my head.Leaving the world of obesity behind mentally was proving to be just as difficult as the weight loss itself, so I started thinking and acting like a thin person.

The wondrous roar of waterfalls and melodious songs of tropical birds drifted up to me from the treetops below, and I found it difficult to contain my emotions. I threw back my head and arms in a moment of euphoric weightlessness as I raced forty-five miles an hour down the mountain.“Whoo-hoo！Look at me！I'm flying！”My spirit soared！I left those 93 pounds behind and few full speed toward my new life.

～Jeri Chrysong

每个人的生命只有一次，但如果活得有意义，一次足矣。

——亚当·马歇尔

“我到底在想什么？真是个傻瓜！”我这个53岁的老太婆，坐在茂伊岛16西北海岸的小山上，狼狈地蜷缩在滑索狭窄平台敞开的门前。我屈身弯腰，双腿张开，这不禁让我想起了分娩。我仿佛要跳向死神的怀抱了。我又一次问自己：“我到底在想什么？”

爬山时，虽然我知道马上可以像鹰一样翱翔，但并没有满心欢喜，因为我费尽了周折。拿着将近20磅的滑索器材，最后爬上山时我都累瘫了。身上汗臭难闻，懊悔不已，一点也不高兴。宣传手册上可对爬山这件事只字未提。小腿上的红肿飞快地变大，不光难看，还火烧火燎地疼，原来还是不起眼的暗斑呢！不过说实话，蚊虫的叮咬让我行动更加迅速，我竟然赢得了小组中“运动健将”的称号。但到目前为止，这次活动一点都不好玩，简直太疯狂了。我第一次狠狠地摔在地面时，牙齿差点就错位了。我觉得，再玩三次肯定吃不消。

我本来可以在家好好睡上一觉，睡到周日上午和朋友一起吃顿早午饭，也可以早早地起来，在茂伊岛美丽的海滩散散步。但是，哦，不不不不不，我得在树林中穿梭，得像鹰一样翱翔，全力以赴，挑战自我，做一些从未做过的事情。何必呢？

因为我能行！因为自打成年以来，我的体重第一次符合玩滑索的要求，而且我想证明，只要我下定决心，什么都能做成。如果我能成功，那么所有肥胖的人也可以改变自己的生活。是的，我蜷缩在高处的滑索前，迎接即将来临的重生。

我还没有实现自己的减肥目标，不过却有资格玩滑索了，所以干脆把剩下的93磅减肥指标先抛在一边。我开始多参与像滑索这样的活动，继续努力减肥。同时，我也努力给思想“瘦身”。我发现，把纷繁复杂的世界抛在脑后和减肥一样困难。所以，我不仅要给身体减肥，还要给思想减肥。

脚下传来声如雷震的瀑布轰鸣，树顶上热带鸟儿悦耳的歌声在耳畔荡漾。控制自己的情绪绝非易事。我以每小时45英里的速度从山顶冲下，仰着头，张开双臂，体验失重的快感。“哇哦！快看我！我飞起来了！”我的灵魂也在翱翔！我把93磅的减肥计划抛在脑后，全速飞向新生活。

——杰里·科里松