Facing My Fears....Sorta

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Although it's probably not at the level of full-blown acrophobia, somewhere along the line I developed a fear of heights. Looking down from a height is a chore, at best! It's nothing new: I would say it's gone on at least since I lived on the 12th floor of a building in Honolulu (yeah, looking down twelve stories to concrete just might give you a fear of heights!). So whatever possessed me to buy a ticket -- a round-trip ticket, mind you -- on a chairlift going up (and eventually back down) a steep incline to take me to the peak at Natural Bridge State Park is unknown. Boarding was no problem. I sank into the seat, settling in the middle with my arms resting on the safety bar. Then I looked up. Rut-roh, Rorge, as Astro used to say. Most of the ride up was okay. I could keep my vision level and not look down, and enjoy the beauty. I even saw a turkey wandering around on the ground and was able to enjoy it. (Hey, this is Kentucky, we're well-known for Wild Turkey! ) Only when the steep climb began did I think, "Y'know, this was a pretty dumb idea." So I closed my eyes, prayed, and practiced that deep breathing technique from mindfulness classes. My fears calmed (even when the chair slowed down to allow older individuals and families with kids to safely board the chairs), and the next thing I knew the attendant at the top of the lift said, "Go ahead and lift your safety bar." Going down was a different story, and I will admit that I pondered the idea of hiking back to the parking lot rather than take the chairlift. But I faced my fears! Well, sorta. I rode most of the way down with my eyes closed. When I opened my eyes I was back at that "comfort zone" where it didn't scare me to look around (or down). And hey, there was that turkey, still enjoying the view from the ground of turkeys like me!!! Was it a waste of money? No, not at all. When I had my eyes opened the view was great. Even with my eyes closed, the sounds and feel of nature soothed me. I'm not "cured," but I'm glad I did it. Would I do it again? I'll let you know next time I'm there.