Why Dan used to wear goggles but doesn't need to any more.

A little bit of background for you.  I was borne with cancer of the eye,
Retinoblastoma.  In order to prevent the cancer from spreading, my left
eye was removed at the age of three years.  After many surgeries to try
and save the right eye, I eventually lost the battle at the age of seven
years and the eye was removed.  So now I wear two prosthetic eyes.  They
look quite real, I am told.  Although, when I still had one eye I
thought that my prosthetic looked pretty real.  To be fare, my left eye
usually does fool people, but my right eye often doesn't fool anybody.
My right eye doesn't blink and the socket is a bit mis-shaped due to all
the radiation therapy, even after some reconstructive surgery it is
still noticeable.  Anyway, this isn't about my devastatingly good
looks. :-)  this is about skydiving.

I had just gotten my brand spanking new Raven IV.  I was so excited to
finally have my own canopy.  I had some friends help me hook it up and I
began to pack it up.  People were still giving me tips on packing at
that time, but I was doing most of it on my own.  Not knowing that a new
canopy might open a bit faster than an old ragged out student canopy, I
neglected to roll the nose of my spiffy, slippery, new canopy.

Eventually, I managed to get on a load.  I meant to look up this jump in
my log book last night but forgot.  So I don't have any details about
the jump for the story.  Probably nothing too exciting.  Nothing until
the opening that is.

I tossed out my pilot chute and began my count.

"One thousand one.  One thousand OOOOOOOFFFFFF!  Christ that hurt!"

As my canopy slammed open and I decelerated, I felt my right eye
decelerate somewhat more leisurely than the rest of me.  I.E. I felt my
right eye leave the socket.  There was quite a bit of swearing going on
at this point.  The eye that I thought I had just lost, would cost as
much to replace as the canopy that just lost it for me.

There wasn't much I could do, so I reached up and released my breaks.
At that point, I had tilted my head back and felt my eye roll around in
the bottom of the goggles.  I was very happy to realize that the eye had
stayed inside the goggles during the opening.  I reached to remove the
goggles and replace the eye into its' usual place, in my head that is.
I quickly checked that move, realizing that if I dropped it while trying
to put it back in, I would be really pissed.  So I continued flying the
canopy down to landing.

My radio man came out to get me and guide me back to the packing area.
I didn't want to be putting my eye back in while he was standing right
there so I just picked up my canopy and started walking in with my head
down so no one would see what had happened.

My radio man asked how the jump went.  I replied that it was fine.  He asked if
anything was wrong.  I said no that everything was just fine.  He asked again,

"Dan, what's up?  Why are you looking so down?  Are you sure everything is OK?"

I looked up, right at him and said,

"My fuckin eye came out on opening!"

I gave my head a little shake and the eye rolled around in the goggles.
He gave a bit of a startled cry and took several steps back.  I had to
laugh at that point.  He said,

"Christ almighty Rossi, put your eye back in!"

He said this loud enough to get the attention of a few other people in
the packing area and then I had to explain it to everyone.  EESH!

I wore my goggles extremely tight after that.  A couple of years later,
I had a new set of eyes made and the right eye had a much better fit.
Now I don't worry about losing it so I don't bother with goggles
anymore.