I have always been fearful.  Loud noises, crowds, butterflies, bees, water on my face, my mother, heights, spiders, dirt…   The list was never-ending. 

Some of these fears have been resolved as I gained deeper understanding and some are still with me.  For example, I never get my face wet if I can help it.  I cleanse with oil .  I’m also 69 years old and don’t have wrinkles -maybe it has turned out to be a good thing!

There was one fear though that I could not simply ‘get over.’  My fear of heights.  This made life very tricky as I am not quite 5ft tall and need to stand on a stool or a stepladder to reach things most other adults can just reach out for. 

In my 50’s I decided to do something about this.  There are many bridges that cross the Brisbane River, and one of them is the heritage listed and cantilevered Story Bridge which, at 243 feet high, is a popular tourist attraction.  With all the safety gear holding us linked to the rails off we went.  I did it!!!!  YAY.

Still not convinced I was over that fear, I decided to do the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb.  It’s the sixth longest spanning bridge in the world and at 440 feet from the top to the water it was something of a challenge.  My niece came with me for this one and we rocked it.

I’ve done it, I thought.  Until another niece visited me from England.  She’d heard about the bridge climbs and decided it was time for me to really take the plunge.  She booked me into a tandem skydive from 14,000 feet.  That’s the highest you can jump from without having oxygen.  And she’d ‘borrowed’ my credit card to pay for it!!!  I found out I was doing this only when it was too late to back out! 

This challenge started off with me and my niece sitting on the floor of a very tiny plane, each of us strapped into very close proximately with the very hunky guys who were our tandem jumpers.  We took off.  The plane slowly climbed, and circled around, climbing ever higher.  I could see the curvature of the earth and the clouds were like little balls of fluff below us – and still we climbed!

Eventually it was time.  There was to be no backing out at the last minute and I found myself sitting right on the edge of the open doorway of this small plane with my legs dangling into what felt like outer space watching my niece’s backside get smaller as she had jumped first. 

There was a lot of swearing involved.  No-one told me that for the first 30 seconds of free-fall we were too high for oxygen, and that I wouldn’t be able breathe.  We were in freefall for the first 9,000 feet.  I could feel the skin on my face rippling as it was pushed backwards with the wind.  At 5,000 ft the parachute was opened and suddenly we were the right way up.  Still a long way from earth but heading there a bit more sedately!!

Then I started to worry about the landing.  Would we go SPLAT onto the beach:  Would we terrify the people on the sand?  NO.  I told myself, Hunky Guy doesn’t want to be splattered, I have to trust that he knows what he is doing.  But I couldn’t help that little thought rumbling though every blood vessel – he’ll be OK, I’m the one that will be the squishy cushion that hits the ground first! 

We did make it back to earth all safe and sound. 

Two bridge climbs and a 14,000 ft skydive.  Am I cured of my fear of heights?   Some 15 years later the jury is still out.  But I certainly am a whole lot more respectful!!

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I have recently joined Hay House Publishers Writers Membership and am undergoing a training course to assist in the writing of my next book – my first novel.

The training course sets assignments and challenges. Today’s blog is one of those… What did you use to fear and don’t any more?
I’d love to know what you used to fear but now don’t. Feel free to write in the comments. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to get these blogs deliver to your email address every week.