Facing Fears

Fears are something everyone has to go through.  No matter who you are, if you realize it or not, there’s something out there that scares you.  Some people are very open about their fears, while others try to play it big and act like they have no fears.  For me, I wear my fear on my sleeves.  I have no shame to say that since I was a child I have had a huge fear of heights.  Though the big question comes when you decide to face your fear, can you?

I have often tried to fight my fear of heights.  It was first realized when I went on a school trip back in Jr. High.  We went to this wooded area where people could put on harnesses and walk around on tight ropes up in the tree.  I was so excited going on this trip as I wanted to go up there.  I always loved seeing stuff like this on TV and thought for sure I would be able to do this.  Though once there, I waited for my turn and started up the large ladder. About half way up, I froze and had a hard time coming back down.  I thought maybe it was because of the tight ropes and dismissed this fear until later that summer when my family went to the Statue of Liberty and I decided to go up the stairs to the crown with my family.  I found myself crying the full time on this staircase, as the railing was down below my knee, I could not even fit both feet on one step.  It was so scary...

To work at breaking this fear, I would go out on the roof of the house I grew up on from my sister’s bedroom window.  When we would first go out there, I would be scared to move around.  Though within 10 to 15 minutes I would be playing tag running around up on the roof.  Though the problem was that the next time I would go to the roof that fear would be right back, not able to move at first.  This is something that has remained with me for all these years.

In 2000, I realized that if I was to go to a park and take an easy ride to start with I could work at breaking my fear just enough to go on other rides, as long as I was not going upside down.  I realized this trick at Camp Snoopy in Mall of America.  So when I learned of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Thrill Ride coming to Nickelodeon Universe in Mall of America, I knew I was going to have to break that fear again.

This trip last weekend was one of my biggest challenges for my fear of heights.  I wanted to be able to bring home lots of reviews and stories to share with everyone.  I wanted to support and check out all of Nickelodeon Universe to thank them for bringing the Turtles into their park.  Though to ride these rides would mean I would have to really test my fear of heights.  I tried to place rules upon myself on things that I knew I could not do right away, like the tall rides would wait until the very last. And going upside down, I did not think I could do that at all.

I did not do things in the order I thought I would, as I started off with the Shell Shock ride which went 70 Feet in the air, but it was an easy ride on me.  I was able to control and make sure I did not flip over.  This was a ride I could relax a bit with, even with my fear as it felt very controlled.  After that, I went on rides that the Cowabunga Corner crew would agree to go with me on.  We covered many rides, though leaving the biggest and scariest rides for last.  Another part of the Cowabunga Corner crew spent the evening with me, as I started to hit the rides that really scared me.  Even though every line had me standing there saying ‘why am I doing this?’, ‘can I really do this?’ and ‘I’m so scared!’, my friends got a laugh out of me in line. I walked away proud of myself at the end.  I had fun, and faced my fears.  It came down to the big rides and even the upside down rides, and I managed to talk myself into going on to those rides.

I do not regret at all that I went on these rides, and only had one thing that I was not able to do, which was not really a ride, but a rope walking things in high places much like what scared me all the way back in 1992.  I am very proud that I was able to face those fears and try each of those rides.  I hope that it helps me move forward with  breaking this fear in the future.  I do want to go back on a lot of those rides.

Thanks Nickelodeon Universe for helping encourage me to break my fear of heights.  Your rides are awesome!  I look forward to my next visit, to work at breaking these fears again.

Do you have a fear that you know of, in which you’re working at breaking it?  If so please feel free to share your stories here.   Also please leave any comments and questions below, all email addresses are left private.