OMEN
01-12-2009, 11:29 PM
George Bush Snr has said that he intends to continue sky-diving, insisting at age 84 that it was better than just 'drooling in a corner'.
Speaking in a rare joint interview with his son, outgoing President George W Bush, Bush senior said that he had no qualms repeating the feat of jumping out of an airplane.
'That doesn't take anything but going up there strapped on to some big golden knight or something. It's a thrill,' said Bush, who walks with a cane because of problems related to a back operation.
The former president, who went skydiving to celebrate his 80th birthday and again in 2007 to mark the opening of his presidential museum, said he wanted to continue the risky hobby to send a message about aging.
'You don't want to sit around just because you're an old guy drooling in the corner,' he said.
'Secondly, you want to send a message out around the world because of the prominence of the presidency that you can still do stuff, old guys can still do stuff, get involved in things," he said.
The senior Bush's plans drew some chiding from his son.
'I think he's a nut to jump out of an airplane at 70, 75, 80 and 85,' he said, before adding: 'I think it's cool'.
However, the current US President added a warning to his father: 'You're going to have a tough time convincing mother of that.'
RTE
Speaking in a rare joint interview with his son, outgoing President George W Bush, Bush senior said that he had no qualms repeating the feat of jumping out of an airplane.
'That doesn't take anything but going up there strapped on to some big golden knight or something. It's a thrill,' said Bush, who walks with a cane because of problems related to a back operation.
The former president, who went skydiving to celebrate his 80th birthday and again in 2007 to mark the opening of his presidential museum, said he wanted to continue the risky hobby to send a message about aging.
'You don't want to sit around just because you're an old guy drooling in the corner,' he said.
'Secondly, you want to send a message out around the world because of the prominence of the presidency that you can still do stuff, old guys can still do stuff, get involved in things," he said.
The senior Bush's plans drew some chiding from his son.
'I think he's a nut to jump out of an airplane at 70, 75, 80 and 85,' he said, before adding: 'I think it's cool'.
However, the current US President added a warning to his father: 'You're going to have a tough time convincing mother of that.'
RTE