One giant leap for noodlekind

**While Felix Baumgartner was hurtling to earth at 833.9 mph, I was making Super Noodles. **

He opens the capsule and utters those famous words. I pour boiling water into the pan, spill some on myself, and shout some of my own famous words. He finally takes the plunge. I add noodles. He starts to build up speed very quickly. I add the delicious flavour sachet. He starts to get into trouble. My noodles are sticking to the pan. He corrects his trajectory. I start plating up. (I’d just like to point out I’m pretty sure I was sat down eating before he hit the ground nine minutes later – one small step for man, one giant leap for noodlekind).

I think this contrast says something about where we’re both heading in our lives at the moment. I’m sure a lot of people weren’t best pleased with pesky Felix showing up how mundane our lives are. As he relaxed later on that day trying out his new chat up line (‘hey baby, I just broke the sound barrier, want to come back to my place?’), I was thinking about what it was, exactly, that I was bringing to the table. Now, we don’t have to start jumping out of hot air balloons just yet, because we all have our own ways of contributing. I mean, how are we meant to measure and compare human success and achievement? I’m not taking anything away from Baumgartner: his feat was spectacular. It’s no wonder 8 million people tuned in to the live stream on YouTube. If you haven’t seen it yet, and you can tear your eyes away from ‘Gangnam Style’, then watch it.

He broke five world records that day. In regards to human achievement it makes you wonder why he’ll be included in a book alongside the largest collection of sick bags, farthest milk squirting distance and fastest time to burst three balloons with their back. If only Baumgartner had added ‘most pointless record breakers hurt in a single incident’ to his tally by positioning them underneath his New Mexico touchdown.

But do you have to break records to feel like you’re contributing to society? There is a small army of people quietly making a difference that I could never fully cover in this article. Whether it’s a scientist in a laboratory somewhere finding cures for diseases, A&E surgeons performing nonstop life-saving operations and treatments, or someone you know who gives up their own time to support a family member – these people will never get the coverage that Felix Baumgartner received. But that doesn’t diminish their role.

{{quote There are people achieving amazing things all the time, whether it is reported or not, and the likelihood is you are a part of that too }}

Even if you’re a floundering writer like me, you’d like to hope that you’re achieving something or affecting someone. Otherwise why do it? (Good question). Red Bull won’t be sponsoring me to do extreme sports journalism anytime soon. I’m probably never going to break a world record unless I find out I have a natural talent for squirting milk. I won’t be doing the Mobot in front of a stadium of 80,000 people. I doubt I’ll be rescuing you from a burning building anytime soon (despite my amazing strength) or bringing Curiosity back home from Mars; but I will be doing something.

We received an iconic image on Sunday the 14th of October. No, it wasn’t not me rolling in my own sick outside Costcutters. It was Felix Baumgartner standing on the precipice of his balloon looking down on the curvature of the earth, moments before he jumped. In all seriousness, this shouldn’t depress us; it should inspire people to excel at the things we’re good at. There are people achieving amazing things all the time, whether it’s reported or not, and the likelihood is you’re a part of that too. Just refuse the temptation to head down to your nearest Gregg’s and attempt the heaviest man or woman record. It’s not going to happen: they’re just too big.