Walking a Tight Rope

Challenging myself to escape my comfort zone has broadened my horizons and given me a confidence I wouldn’t have otherwise. One of my biggest fears has always been heights, especially when my footing is unstable and there’s a steep drop-off with nothing to break my fall. I get a serious case of vertigo, hyperventilate, and then cry. My girls and Lou can verify my fear, because they’ve all been witness to it, and to my attempts to push through and overcome it. During our recent trip south to look at potential retirement property, my close friend said she wanted to challenge herself to do something she always wanted to do with her kids but couldn’t because of her weight. She lost almost 70 pounds this year, so when she saw there was a Navitat in one of the areas we were visiting she said that was the one thing she wanted to do. I made her a deal. I said that since she was challenging herself to do the strength elements, I would challenge myself to do ONE height element. I didn’t realize when I made that promise that the entire challenge was in the tree tops. We each paid for a 2.5hour session, and after a 20 minute hands-on tutorial we were set loose on one of the two beginner courses. My friend did an amazing job of tackling one after the other, her biggest challenge being how short she is and the distance she had to stretch her legs to get from one to the next. Despite my nerves, I got through the first element OK, but the next one was wobbly and the footing unsure, and even though I was tethered in, my fear overwhelmed me and I couldn’t go forward. I didn’t want to give up, but I felt myself getting dizzy, and then sick to my stomach, and then the crying took over. My friends were encouraging me, and the guide gave me some tips and another clip for my harness which stabilized me a little better, and so I sallied forth. My nerves never settled completely, but I gained enough confidence that by the time we finished the first beginner course I didn’t hesitate to do the second course as well. I don’t know that I’ll ever be comfortable with heights without ten pounds of harness and clipped in to guide wires, but I’m proud of myself and my friend for challenging ourselves to overcome our fears and having the times of our lives in the process.