I'm terrified of heights. When my body is a certain distance above the ground, my blood pressure (non-scientific description) forces every molecule of blood into my hands and feet, making them feel simultaneously numb and somehow inflated, like all four of my limbs culminate in blown-up latex gloves.
This makes me clumsy on ladders, coupled with the fact that all that blood has also vacated my brain, leaving me a little lightheaded.
(Have I mentioned this also happens when I watch movies of people who climb mountains, drop out of helicopters, scale the sides of skyscrapers or basically anything else David would like to watch?)
Despite this aversion to heights, I sometimes tend to seek them out, finding ways to face my fear. Maybe I hope it will disappear altogether? That its power will be diminished? In any case, I've made it a point to go on roller coasters and ride chair lifts and even a little bit of mountain climbing.
And today I climbed a ladder to the very peak of my house, my inflatable hand struggling to clutch my camera, in order to face my fear and take a picture of D. working on the chimney. (While D's brother and father joked about the awkwardness caused by me wearing a skirt...) And I did it! Up above you can see a picture of my house--the ladder was standing up on that deck, which is already one story up, and stretching up to the peak, which is outside the top frame of the photo (and you can also see a bit of my deck-painting project, though I'm farther than that right now!) And you can see the photo I snapped with my hand all shaky and tingling--D.'s surprised smile when he realized it was me peering over the edge of the roof.
About halfway up the second story of the house (I looked down to roll my eyes at some comment of my father-in-law about my skirt and got a little dizzy...), I almost gave up, but then what would have been the point? And it's sort of stupid--a lot of people climb ladders--but it made me feel so awesome to climb up there despite my fear.
And now...to battle my fearful (but similarly exhilarating) edits! *straps on parachute*
3 comments:
The researchers said these results suggest that people who are trying to decrease their risk for high blood pressure should focus on losing weight and increasing physical fitness should be a secondary goal.
Aww, I love rooftops. As a teen, I was constantly going up on mine to read, write, sing (I sing terribly), and just kinda think/veg out. My parents hated it at first... then they asked me to clean the gutters. :P
Way to face your fears! Both heights and edits, hehehe.
haha Kristan! our roof...there's no way you could read or write on our roof...the pitch is so steep. just typing this made my hands and feet get numb, lol!
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