Okay! While I am waiting for the board of the shelter to determine whether or not I can take Curious George home (humming Jeopardy! theme song), let's discuss something else, shall we?
I like to walk. I walk on hiking trails. A lot of hiking trails lead to a scenic outlook, meaning they are up high.
And I am scared of heights. I may have mentioned this before.I like to think of it as self-preservation.
Take, for example, this picture:
See the dirt part? That is the trail. See the edge of the trail? That is a dropoff. Of approximately one hundred feet, ending in the creek bed below. If you trip over one of those tree roots? And you fall? You are dead.
My hands were shaking just taking that picture. Note the utter lack of guard rails of any kind. This is a public trail, in a Pennsylvania state park. Little kids walk that trail all. the. time.
Here is a trail which literally goes up some waterfalls:
See that couple? They are taking their dog up the falls. And right ahead of them was a group of people with several small children.
Dogs can do that trail. Small children can do that trail. I? Cannot do that trail. Because it goes up high.
You could make fun of me all you wanted, you could tease and taunt and wiggle your fingers in your ears, and I WOULD NOT DO THAT TRAIL.
Because I don't want to die.
So tell me? Is it just me? Could YOU walk up that waterfall, no problem? Because I'm starting to feel like the world's biggest sissy, here.
Or, okay - If you could walk up that waterfall, is there something else that you're afraid of? Something you're afraid of, that doesn't bother most other people?
Just making sure I'm not alone, here.
2 comments:
Not entirely alone. I don't have problems with heights, or cliffs, or windows in tall buildings. No problems if I'm satisfied that what's beneath me is solid.
I DO have difficulty with edges and man-made structures. I can't get within 2 feet of the edge of a cliff, or stand near the edge of any structure where the welder might have had a bad day. I can get up on the roof of my house and walk around on it, but I can't get OFF the roof because I can't rely on the gutters, and you have to go over them to get down.
I was fine on the real Eiffel Tower, but I went up a model in some American park once, and had a full-fledged panic attack when the elevator doors opened to an open-mesh floor.
I guess it's solid vs. flimsy.
Yeah, it's the edges that's the problem. As long as I'm far enough back, I'm okay. Hmmm.
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