People take risks every day, but how many people you know take real chances? How many people truly live by the mantra “You only live once” or YOLO for short.
Here are the stories of people who have taken leaps to live life on their terms. People who have listened to their hearts and embarked on adventures others only dream of doing. People who live life with no regrets.
Jump, jump jump!
Quinn Patton is a fifth grade schoolteacher, however she does not fit the stereotype of the boring schoolmarm. For her, life is all about taking risks and she’s stuck to that ideal since her childhood.
When she’s not molding young minds, Patton enjoys the rush of being in the air. One of the biggest thrills she’s had in her life is skydiving.
“I went bungee jumping when I was 12 years old. I’ve been parasailing and rock climbing. I love risk taking and I like feeling like I’m flying. It gives me a sense of freedom. I’m not really in control of how fast I go down. It’s the thrill of being in the air and flying like a bird,” said Patton. “People ask, ‘aren’t you afraid you’re going to die?’ I know where I’m going if I do, so there’s no fear there.”
In 2009, Patton tried skydiving for the first time. She managed to convince a few college friends to join her to make sure she didn’t chicken out. Unfortunately she got lost on her way to the jump location and her friends completed their jump before her leaving Patton to skydive without her friends.
She wasn’t completely alone, because her first jump was a tandem jump and included an instructor. The fall was from 14,000 feet in the air.
“We didn’t even count to three. We just jumped and it was amazing,” said Patton.
She loved skydiving so much, she later decided to go again only this time bringing her boyfriend, now her husband.
Patton is currently taking classes to complete her goal of doing a solo skydive. She said she also wants to ride in a hot air balloon.
“I don’t mind heights. Water is where I have the problem,” laughed Patton. “I really want to jet ski, but I can’t swim. I want to get that down first.”
Patton added that her adventurous spirit and love of extreme sports is not well liked by her parents and other family members think she’s crazy. Other nay-sayers believe African-Americans don’t do things like skydiving.
“Everyone should do something risky and on their bucket list before they die. You’re limiting yourself in what you can do if you continue to think your race or culture doesn’t do ‘this.’ If you’re spending time thinking about what you can’t do then how are you really living your life? (Skydiving) has brought value to my life,” said Patton.
“This also plays a part in my classroom. How can I encourage my students to do the impossible if I don’t believe it as well?”
Under the sea
Ronald Foster Sharif knows a thing or two about taking a chance. While working at Eli Lilly & Co. as a biochemistry researcher, he decided to pursue his passion for photography.
“They trained me in scientific photography, which helped make the transition into retirement after 30 years easier,” said Foster Sharif.
Clad in is signature backwards baseball cap and khaki photographer’s vest, Foster Sharif has flourished in photography since 2008. At age 62, many people his age are slowly settling down, but Foster Sharif is still dreaming big … ocean big.
Discovering a niche for African-American underwater photographers, and wanting to make himself more marketable for a documentary being filmed in West Africa, he decided to learn how to scuba dive.
With his swimming know-how and book knowledge on scuba diving, this summer Foster Sharif and his son and grandson headed to the Dominican Republic to do water training in the Atlantic Ocean allowing him complete certification in scuba diving.
In order for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors to issue him a license, Foster Sharif had to undergo rigorous testing including open water dives that go as deep as 40 feet, being able to complete a dive with little assistance and mastering troubleshooting techniques.
“You’ve got gas on your back. And once you get in the water, you have to prove your competency in how you respond in an emergency situation. What if you lose your mask? What if you lose your air regulator? What if another diver is in trouble? What if you run out of air?” he said.
He received his certification in about a week, but it wasn’t easy. Foster Sharif maintains a strict diet and exercise regimen, therefore the physical nature of diving was minimally challenging. However he was incredibly seasick and sustained various injuries.
“One day I came out of the water and I was in pretty bad shape – bleeding. My son said ‘Pop, why are you doing this?’ I had to explain to him what I was trying to do for him, my grandson and nephews. I want to leave a legacy – more than my material goods. I believe as African-American men, we have to put ourselves in challenging conditions and that will strengthen our character,” he said.
In addition to setting an example for the men in his family, Foster Sharif said he decided to learn how to scuba dive for himself.
“You only come on top of the ground once. You should enjoy and experience as much as you can while you’re here,” said Foster Sharif.
Nothing to lose
Douglas Morris and his business partner Nick Saligoe are putting the finishing touches on their newest venture, Deckademics, which is a DJ school, and preparing for its grand opening in January.
“This is not a hip-hop school. There’ll be three rooms for the student and instructor learning the fundamentals of djing. We’re teaching the skill,” said Morris.
The school is just one element under the umbrella known as Old Soul Entertainment Morris started with a friend eight years ago. There are also events such as “Root Movements,” which feature live entertainers who champion jazz and blues music; “Icon,” a tribute event that honors significant artists or points in music history; and “Soul Session,” an event that celebrates the progression of music and showcases local fine arts.
What separates Morris from others who simply throw parties, is that he has taken his love of music and transformed it into an eclectic experience that is loved by all races. What also puts Morris in a category of his own is that he left a nine-year job (what some would consider stable) at Dow AgroSciences as a logistics manager in order to devote his full time to Old Soul Entertainment.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. In high school I had a production company where I did weddings or church programs. It was never an ‘I’m going to work this job and retire from this company.’ I understood that money and credit are the things you need to make things happen,” said Morris.
With that understanding, and a daughter on the way, Morris used his Dow earnings and occasional second jobs to pay off all his debts, purchase his home and save funds all while hosting events under the Old Soul name. He said he was able to leave his corporate job with no fear due to his humble upbringing.
“When you grow up not really having a whole lot, you don’t have anything to lose,” said the Arsenal Technical High School grad.
Although calculated, the risk paid off. Morris has made Old Soul Entertainment successful, has collaborated with Saligoe, a well-known DJ, in order to keep the business progressing; and provides well-thought-out events.
“I like it when there are 250 people walking out sweating, but if there were only 20 people sweating and they talked about how much fun they had and they hadn’t experienced that in Indianapolis, that’s what makes me happy,” he said. “I care about the numbers for business purposes, but I really care about the experience. Anybody can throw a party, but what did you add to the landscape of the city? I want to leave a legacy my daughter will be proud of.”
Other Old Soul events in the works include an open mic concept but “less corny,” according to Morris.
“It’s more of a creative expression space,” he said. “If you’re a dancer and you just feel like dancing, well come do it. Or if you’re a comedian and you want to test out your jokes before you go to Crackers and get booed, come do it,” Morris said.
