Overcoming Fear

Regardless of age, we all have fears.  Some are so minor they don't interfere with life at all.  In fact, most people may not know you even have them.  Other fears, like fear of water, heights, large crowds, or small spaces might be more difficult to live with.  People who have these fears usually learn to live with them and to avoid situations that they find uncomfortable.  Others want to conquer their fears. 

Last week I was lucky enough to spend two days with seven wonderful women in Newport Beach and Catalina.  Thank you Fran, for sharing your Newport Beach timeshare with us.  Several months ago  Fran and I had decided to get together a group to go ziplining in Catalina.  We thought we had lots of women willing to try, but in the end there were just six of us.  Then Fran thought about her timeshare in Newport, so we combined a mini vacation in Newport and our zipling adventure.  We had a wonderful two days, but the ziplining was the highlight.

I had never thought about the fact that ziplining might be scary.  I just thought it would be fun!  But, when I got up to the first platform and saw our guide take a big step off into air, I started getting heart palpitations.  Of the six of us who went to Catalina, two (Barb and Fran) had ziplined before.  The rest of us were new, and frankly I don't think any of us had focused on our fear.  Not until you get up there and see what you're in for does the fear set in.  I knew ziplining in Catalina was extremely safe.  The guides are so thorough about checking equipment and making sure everyone understands how to tuck, slow down, and come in for a landing.  But walking off a platform with hundreds of feet of nothingness below you, even though you're in a harness and attached to a wire, is SCARY.  We were told that everyday people get up on the platform and can't do it.  They end up walking down the mountain.  The four of us who had never done ziplining before looked at it as an opportunity to overcome a fear.  We all did it, we all survived, we all enjoyed it, and we'd all do it again.

Ziplining is exhilerating.  Our course consisted of five platforms.  Obviously the first was the scariest.  There were eight people in our group, the six of us and a couple from Ramona.  The Ramona couple went first, then one or two from our group.  I said to Carol that I was getting so nervous that I had to go next or may lose my nerve.  I went next, hung on for dear life, and made it to the other side.  My legs were shaking as I got off and my hands were sweating.  Whew.  The adrenaline was pumping, and as soon as I recovered from platform one, we were ready for the next.  The second platform was the longest one on the course.  Again, I stepped off into the air and was whisked through the air at about 40mph.  I loved it, and about halfway through the zipline I was actually looking around and enjoying myself.  I knew at that point that I would complete the course.  What a thrill.  We all finished in fine style, all exhaused, but with such a smile on our faces, such confidence in ourselves, and such good feeling in our hearts that we had done it. 

Safety is always first, and although we're all contemplating what our next challenge will be, we know what it won't be.  It won't be bungee jumping or parachuting out of a plane.  It will be safe.  Ron always worries about my safety, and I do too.  Don't worry, Ron.  I won't do anything that's not safe.  Ziplining, at least in Catalina, is very safe.  If you haven't tried it, I hope you do.   Thanks Ryan and Alex, for showing us such a good time.