Call Me Mellow, But I Don’t Want To (Climb A Big) Rock
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I’m forced to face my arachnophobia [fear of spiders] throughout the summer months in Seattle - which is manageable in relatively controlled environments. Heights bother me only in utterly exposed situations, which is a different fear altogether.
When I have a good opportunity to face my fears, I take it - nervously.
On our first cruise, Ponzi cajoled me into climbing a rock wall that stood on one end of the ship. I wasn’t really comfortable with the idea of doing it at sea (despite the extended safety precautions). I didn’t embrace the idea enthusiastically, but went through with it for Ponzi’s sake (seriously, or the whole vacation would have boiled down to me “not listening” or “not wanting to have fun” despite any personal fears or shortcomings that counter her own).
I hated every moment of this rock-climbing experience, and would just as soon drink a gallon of bleach than climb anything ever again. The jerk controlling the cable told me that I didn’t ring the bell after I did the first time - and wouldn’t let me down until I rang it again. If the Almighty would have wanted us to scale walls with plastic nubs attached, he would have given us claws instead of fingers.
Why’d I do it? Just to prove to myself that I could, I guess. Sometimes you grow by facing your fears - even if the overcoming is merely temporary. Don’t ever ask me to go climbing with you - I’ve done it, and I don’t like it.
[tags]fear, overcome fear[/tags]
5 Comments
Kim Luck
June 29th, 2007
at 5:36am
Mate! It’s hard enough having to scale a high bar stool! Why anyone would have a rock on a ship is a bit of a mystery. Us sailors usually like to keep the rocks on the outside, but hey, you guys are really different! Rocks are for seabirds to defecate on and have no place in the average persons travel itinerary. Sack your travel agent, go sailing and avoid rocks! I’m with you Chris
Steve
June 29th, 2007
at 7:14am
Hey Chris,
Is that the pinnacle at the REI store in Seattle?
Ray Merriam
June 29th, 2007
at 1:22pm
Chris, I sympathize with you only too well. I have both those fears and one more - the fear of deep water (no one could have even gotten me on that cruise ship so the rock climbing would have been a non-issue!).
The spider fear came about because when I was six years old I went to a Saturday afternoon matinee at a movie theater with my older cousins and one of the movies was “Tarantula” (I’m dating myself here - it’s a 1957 horror movie of the “nuclear testing creates big bugs” variety). I spent most of that movie on the floor hiding behind the seat back with my red jacket over my head (yes, it sounds like the Bill Cosby routine). I can’t even look at photos or drawings of spiders.
Not sure about how I got to have a fear of heights. The deep water is also strange because I enjoy swimming and was actually quite good at it, and even canoeing, when I was in my early teens and went to a summer camp.
As you get older you will probably get vertigo, another “benefit” of your fear of height. I didn’t used to have it and a WWII vet whose memoir I published about ten years ago when he was visiting to discuss his book, since mt office was on the 2nd floor, he wasn’t too crazy about going up there. The going up wasn’t a problem, but he told me he had vertigo and going down the stairs later I had to walk in front of him in case he fell. In the past couple of years I have started experiencing vertigo and while it is not as bad as the fear of height, it can be disconcerting at times.
Tom DeLora
June 30th, 2007
at 12:05am
C’mon Chris you can swim can’t you? If you fall, you fall. no big deal. She just wants you to admit that you’re not perfect.
Cindy B.
June 30th, 2007
at 6:21am
Chris, I know how you feel. I too have my fears for years my family has tried to get me to go on roller coasters and I won’t do it. The thing that I am most scared of about them is the speed and the loops, either a stand up or you can lay down on them now. It seems the faster and more turns and loops they do the better for some people, but not me. I have this long time fear of the coaster stopping in the middle of a loop and being stuck on top for hrs. I know people like them for the rush they get but I like to take things slow.
Maybe some day I will just go for it and take the plunge and ride one.
I choose which one to ride. The kiddy coasters at Disney sound good to me.
As for a cruise I don’t know if I could even step on foot of a ship. When I was 10 I saw the orginal Posidean movie and I swore I would not go on a cruise. My husband want’s to take one and all I think about is the wave coming at us.
I hand it to you for pushing past your fears and climbing that wall. I too am inspired to push through my fear as well if you can do I can to. Thanks for your story.