Verified Document

Narrative The Decision To Face My Fears Essay

¶ … Narrative The Decision to Face My Fears

For as long as I can recall, I've had a fear of heights. I could never be sure of exactly why this was true but any time I found myself looking out the window of a tall building, on a carnival ride or in an airplane, I would experience symptoms of panic and discomfort. My heart would race and my palms would sweat. As a result, I began to find myself increasingly unwilling to place myself in situations where I might have to experience this type of anxiety. I would avoid taking trips where I might have to fly, if at all possible. I would go out of my way to resist the kinds of hikes or outdoor activities that might place me at elevation. In general, while it did not effect my everyday life, I was beginning to find my fear to be an obstacle to the enjoyment of some potentially extraordinary activities. Quite to this point, it would require the engagement of an extraordinary activity to help break me of my crippling fears. Still, the ultimate decision to take the proverbial and literal leap, as it were, is one with which I would struggle mightily.

After years of attempting to suppress and manage my fear, I found myself at a crossroads. My friends were traveling to Costa Rica for spring break and they insisted that I come along. I had already steeled myself against my fear of air travel enough to agree to go on this trip....

I reasoned that it was worth it to visit an exotic location, to experience exciting new things and simply to get away for a week. So I booked my flight. It was only at this point that my friends told me that had taken the initiative and purchased my ticket for a 'zip-lining' adventure.
For some basic background, the 'zip-lining' adventure places the participant in a waist-harness and, using a peg and two metal carabineers, affixes the participant to a metal wheel. This wheel is, in turn, attached to a thick metal cable that suspends from one cliff to another, hundreds of feet above the top of the rainforest below. The very thought of it made me ill. I argued strenuously with my friends and insisted that I had no intention of participating in this activity. I insisted that I would be more than happy to hang back at the hotel while they stupidly risked their lives for several seconds of adrenaline.

But my friends were relentless. They assured me that it would be fine, that the activity was perfectly safe and that my odds of survival were high. I, in turn, argued that my odds of survival would be that much greater if I simply remained on the ground. The argument persisted for the whole month before our trip and even in the days leading up to it. Even as I enjoyed the sights, sounds and flavors of Costa Rica, I quietly dreaded the day that we were scheduled to zip-line.…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Slave Narrative and Black Autobiography - Richard
Words: 10277 Length: 37 Document Type: Term Paper

Slave Narrative and Black Autobiography - Richard Wright's "Black Boy" and James Weldon Johnson's Autobiography The slave narrative maintains a unique station in modern literature. Unlike any other body of literature, it provides us with a first-hand account of institutional racially-motivated human bondage in an ostensibly democratic society. As a reflection on the author, these narratives were the first expression of humanity by a group of people in a society where

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors
Words: 8575 Length: 26 Document Type: Term Paper

Medical Ethics and Decision Making Do Doctors Need More Guidelines? New Revolution in Ethics In 1988, what many called the 'third revolution' in medical care came about (Dunevitz, 1999). The first revolution was after the Second World War, and this caused an explosion in the number of hospitals and doctors, as well as the research that went into the field (Dunevitz, 1999). Medicare and Medicaid were created and the field of medicine was

Breathless in the Face of Godard's Sharp
Words: 1644 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Breathless in the face of Godard's Sharp and Fragmented Vision of Filmed Sexuality all these things, at first sight...are obstacles to conventional smoothness and logic. Yet they are perfectly efficient in the sense that they crate an impression of confusion, flight, fear, restrained violence, imminent danger, etc., while staying within the bounds of possibility...The editor [Godard] is saying, in fact, "the habitual idea of screen continuity is merely an illusion

Ethical Decision-Making Process
Words: 421 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Ethical Decision Making Process Underage Garment Workers Dodge Rules in Cambodia The press has been waiting for three hours and Steve, the chief communications officer cannot wait any longer for fear of the press houses growing even larger. He knows keeping the press waiting long could be part of the story on top of the story already unfolding. He opens the door for Melanie and Cindy, both from Human Resources Management and

Life History Narrative and Interpretation Developmental Theory
Words: 3144 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

Narrative and Interpretation Part 1: Life Course Concepts and Developmental Theory Describe the life course framework according to Hutchinson The life course perspective is mainly focused on analyzing people's lives and the changes that happen between different periods. It can be cultural or socials changes, but it is essential to point out the relationships between the two periods. A good example is how one's childhood affects adolescence and how adolescence affects one's adulthood.

Cornwall County School System Narrative
Words: 9410 Length: 28 Document Type: Research Paper

Harold Kirk, Board Member - Feels that they do not have the money to hire ServiceMaster, strongly opposed to hiring of outside contractors. Feels threatened by outside contractors, may have relatives who he has done favors for that may lose their job. Harold may have the ability to influence the rest of the board and sway their opinion through his strong opposition. Other board members - Must decide whether hiring ServiceMaster

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now