Real Story Of My Small Adventure and Facing My Fear
>> Tuesday, January 14, 2014
I am afraid of rides. I can feel panic setting inside me, just by thinking about some of the amusement park rides. Few years back, I had gone to Six Flags with some friends. I just took part in 2 rides. One of them was allowed for small kids, and I was terrified the whole time I was on the ride. I was waiting for the ride to be over. The other one was a boat ride. I badly wasted my money on that trip.
I am not sure why I am afraid of rides but this fear has been with me for a long time. I am more afraid of rides as compared to height. When I am on a ride the imagining how the ride would suddenly coming down puts fear in my heart and mind.
Last month I went to Florida with my family and one of the places on our travel map was Key West. Key West is the southern most island in the continental USA. It is famous for many adventure activities it offers. One of the activities is Para sailing in which you would be suspended in the air on a Parachute and connected to a boat below with a rope. At the peak a person hovers around 600 ft above the water.
My wife is much more courageous when it comes to rides and she wanted to go for Para sailing. I tried to convince her about going for "more fun activity" like glass bottom boat trip. I explain to her about the great ocean view she would have from the boat, but she wouldn't listen. I then asked if she would go sailing alone. She still wouldn't listen, I was required with her. I reluctantly agreed, while secretly praying for weather to turn bad which would cancel the Para sailing trip.
When we reached the ticketing area, I asked the clerk at the ticket counter whether Para sailing was safe.
"Absolutely" she responded. She still couldn't convince me.
At 5 pm our boat was ready to take us to the ocean for the trip. When the boat from the previous trip came back I asked another couple who went with us about how it felt.
"How did you feel? Was it scary?" I asked.
"Little scary, especially when you see your feet dangling." was the response. "Do not look down" was the last advice.
I boarded the boat reluctantly and my heart was pounding. I tried to act brave and tried to bring a smile on to my face. There were two other pairs on the boat.
As the boat raced to an open area in the ocean the crew got ready to send one pair to the sky. The crew puts one pair at a time on the Para sailing and once they come down they send the next pair. Thankfully we were the last pair.
As the first pair got ready one of the crew members took some pictures and they looked very happy. Then they were harnessed to the parachute and they were then released into the air as the boat picked up speed. Soon they were at the top. I tried to find out if they were afraid at the top, but their faces were not clear because of the distance.
Around 5 to 10 minutes later, they were slowly pulled back to the boat and the next pair went up. The pair which came back were very happy, but I was more worried about my condition while on the top. The crew asked us to put on the life jacket and pose for some pictures. I was very nervous so was my wife. I think she was little concerned if I would be able to handle it.
The second pair also came down. Now it was our turn.
The crew quickly harnessed us to the parachute and asked us to pose for one last picture before we went up. Gradually the rope was release and the boat picked up the speed. As we went up I realized I was not as afraid as I had imagined myself to be. Gradually the distance between us and the boat increased and then we were at the top and the boat looked very small.
The high wind was making continuously shaking us in the air. I could see the Atlantic ocean and it majestic blue water below us. I turned my head back and saw the sun going down. I was about the to see the sun set. I felt great and somehow the fear was gone. As we dangled in the air, pushed around by the wind, I was kept watching the surroundings and felt blessed. There was no fear, only joy.
My wife was more afraid than me and she held on to the harness too tightly and kept her eyes closed. I asked he to open the eyes and see the surrounding but she was too nervous to do that.
After some time the boat crew started to pull back the rope and we were lowered down. Just before landing on the boat they let out dangling feet touch the ocean water. Finally we were pulled back to the boat.
Although thousands of people participate in para sailing activity routinely, for me it was a life time experience and it taught me two things -
1. Things may not be as scary as they seem to be unless you try them. Who know what you can discover when you try out new adventure in life.
2. It reconfirmed that I am more afraid of rides rather than height. One of my lifetime wish is to to do para jumping. I still do not know if I can do that. But, I never know.
I am not sure why I am afraid of rides but this fear has been with me for a long time. I am more afraid of rides as compared to height. When I am on a ride the imagining how the ride would suddenly coming down puts fear in my heart and mind.
Last month I went to Florida with my family and one of the places on our travel map was Key West. Key West is the southern most island in the continental USA. It is famous for many adventure activities it offers. One of the activities is Para sailing in which you would be suspended in the air on a Parachute and connected to a boat below with a rope. At the peak a person hovers around 600 ft above the water.
My wife is much more courageous when it comes to rides and she wanted to go for Para sailing. I tried to convince her about going for "more fun activity" like glass bottom boat trip. I explain to her about the great ocean view she would have from the boat, but she wouldn't listen. I then asked if she would go sailing alone. She still wouldn't listen, I was required with her. I reluctantly agreed, while secretly praying for weather to turn bad which would cancel the Para sailing trip.
When we reached the ticketing area, I asked the clerk at the ticket counter whether Para sailing was safe.
"Absolutely" she responded. She still couldn't convince me.
At 5 pm our boat was ready to take us to the ocean for the trip. When the boat from the previous trip came back I asked another couple who went with us about how it felt.
"How did you feel? Was it scary?" I asked.
"Little scary, especially when you see your feet dangling." was the response. "Do not look down" was the last advice.
I boarded the boat reluctantly and my heart was pounding. I tried to act brave and tried to bring a smile on to my face. There were two other pairs on the boat.
As the boat raced to an open area in the ocean the crew got ready to send one pair to the sky. The crew puts one pair at a time on the Para sailing and once they come down they send the next pair. Thankfully we were the last pair.
As the first pair got ready one of the crew members took some pictures and they looked very happy. Then they were harnessed to the parachute and they were then released into the air as the boat picked up speed. Soon they were at the top. I tried to find out if they were afraid at the top, but their faces were not clear because of the distance.
Around 5 to 10 minutes later, they were slowly pulled back to the boat and the next pair went up. The pair which came back were very happy, but I was more worried about my condition while on the top. The crew asked us to put on the life jacket and pose for some pictures. I was very nervous so was my wife. I think she was little concerned if I would be able to handle it.
The second pair also came down. Now it was our turn.
The crew quickly harnessed us to the parachute and asked us to pose for one last picture before we went up. Gradually the rope was release and the boat picked up the speed. As we went up I realized I was not as afraid as I had imagined myself to be. Gradually the distance between us and the boat increased and then we were at the top and the boat looked very small.
The high wind was making continuously shaking us in the air. I could see the Atlantic ocean and it majestic blue water below us. I turned my head back and saw the sun going down. I was about the to see the sun set. I felt great and somehow the fear was gone. As we dangled in the air, pushed around by the wind, I was kept watching the surroundings and felt blessed. There was no fear, only joy.
My wife was more afraid than me and she held on to the harness too tightly and kept her eyes closed. I asked he to open the eyes and see the surrounding but she was too nervous to do that.
After some time the boat crew started to pull back the rope and we were lowered down. Just before landing on the boat they let out dangling feet touch the ocean water. Finally we were pulled back to the boat.
Although thousands of people participate in para sailing activity routinely, for me it was a life time experience and it taught me two things -
1. Things may not be as scary as they seem to be unless you try them. Who know what you can discover when you try out new adventure in life.
2. It reconfirmed that I am more afraid of rides rather than height. One of my lifetime wish is to to do para jumping. I still do not know if I can do that. But, I never know.
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