I have done crazy things. No bragging but really the few adventures that I could manage and afford for myself have surprised people around me. I have been asked, more than once about how I don’t feel afraid of these activities? Teeny-weeny things like mountain trekking–I slipped so many times but was un-injured at the end, forest hiking in the dark–my feet were so swollen that they wouldn’t fit in any of my regular sandals for few days after that, waterfall rappelling–was stuck between the rock wall and the waterfall to almost choke on the water, natural water slides–my back was sore for days after this. All this was fun for me. People praising me for enduring those activities was (in my head) just their humility.
On a regular day, while running in a park, a dog came and bit me, out of the blue. You know. And then I saw this huge, dark, black mountain in front of me. Without a single crack to let any ray of light come in. I thought, I was not going to die.
Seriously, the mountains, forest, waterfalls, rocks nothing could scare me! And no, the dog didn’t scare me, either. It happened when I found myself at the doctor’s clinic and the kind lady was casually informing me about the Titanus shot that I was supposed to take. That was the moment my heart started racing at a speed unimaginable for me. I could feel sweat beads forming on my forehead. Would dying be easier that getting a shot?
Fine! Exaggeration?! Yes, I know. But really, that was my mountain. My challenge. I wanted to run through the door, come back home, and just curl up on my bed till eternity.
When I walked out of that door, I knew I had conquered my mountain. My fear. At least, for another 10 years!
Learning? We all have our mountains to climb. The general list of things to feel afraid of is never going to be an all-inclusive. Let’s conquer, one at a time!