In Which The Author Realizes Something A Bit Too Late

I went rock climbing tonight. Got the harness rented, learned how to belay for someone...it was great.

And then I clipped in after the ppl I was with had given it a shot. And as I was clipping in, getting ready to climb (keep in mind this was an indoor place) I remembered something.

Something key.

Something I probably should have realized earlier.

This was more or less my exact thought:
Oh fuck, I'm afraid of heights...

Yep. I have been since I was a kid. Now, as the years have gone by the fear has lessened, for example, I can now sit in balcony seats and not freak out, but the basic fear is still there.

So the first time I climbed up, I only got about 50-70% up the wall before coming down. Which was actually just as frightening.

You see, to climb up, you need to look down to help you get your feet in the right place. Which is scary. But, to climb down? You need to let go of the handholds. Now this is hard because you're basically up there on a piece of rope trusting your belay-partner to lower you down. And you're trusting the anti-fall device on your equipment. And you know I have trust issues.

So, to go down you have to let go of everything, put your legs at a 90 degree angle to your body and just let yourself go down, nice and slow.

I had issues.

But, I did it. And then next time I went up the same course, and I went up all the way. Letting go was still tough, but I did it.

The third time? I went up a tougher course...and it was harder because it was frankly hard to get hand holds anywhere. I had to stop a couple of times and figure stuff out, I wasn't sure I was gonna make it. But damnit I did. And I did good. That time it was easy to let go and come down because I didn't have the strength to hold on anymore. I did good.

Granted by the end my hands were literally shaking from the exertion...but it was a good feeling.

And screw you fear of heights! I didn't let you stop me from having FUN! It was GREAT.

And then we went had dinner and went to the Tunnel a bar. We were im Northhampton.

It was great. Truly truly fun with colleagues and stuff. The two martinis were not a bad perk either (Lemon Drop martini and Green Apple martini...yum!)

Plus I tied a cherry stem into a triple knot! Rock on, and go me!!