Jump Board

Jumping Board:

A fun thing that Dad taught us to do as kids was jumping board. You take a twelve foot 2x10 board and lay it across an 18"-24"  block.(not certain of height) One person stands on one end which causes the other end to raise up and the other person jumps flatfooted onto it. The impact of a person jumping on one end of the board catapults the other into the air. Then as that one lands the other person is catapulted into the air. With good balance it is enormously fun. .

Dad and I were quite good at jumping board. He moved the board closer to one end to adjust for the difference in our weight and when his feet hit the board I felt like I was soaring high. 

Some friends, who were visiting us from California wanted to see how to jump board. So Dad and I were giving them an exhibition. For several minutes everything went smoothly and I felt the usual invigoration as my feet left the board and I sailed above their heads. Then, too quickly to act, my feet slipped at the same time Dad's feet hit the board and my balance was lost. When my feet left the board that time I was flipping through the air and landed sprawled nearby. 

Everyone who was watching the jump board exhibition said my head hit the ground first, with my body folded over it, and they were certain that my neck was broken. Dad picked me up and with everyone gathered around they rushed into the house to lay me on the bed, praying as they went. Thankfully I was fine after the incident but Dad would never jump board with us again. He thought he had killed me when I fell. 

After the fall I was knocked senseless but as he carried me into the house I heard Dad's anguished cry, "Oh God! I've killed my baby!"