Fears (Day 13) - 20 Days of Chill

I have a fear of heights.  It's an irrational fear I know, yet it still bothers me when I'm really high in something and there's nothing to hold on to or something like that.  

On our first anniversary, my wife and I took a trip to Seattle, Washington.  One of the things that we visited was the Space Needle.  We bought our tickets and waited for the elevator to take us to the top.  Ironically, something like this usually doesn't faze me.  But when I saw the glass elevator, I panicked a little.  

Going up was fine because I was rather rude and pushed my way to the front of the line and jumped in all the way to the back of the elevator.  At the top, I was fine, mainly because there were so many anti-suicide devices that I knew I wasn't going to fall.  Perhaps that's the fear.  It's not so much the height, but the fear of falling.

Now, going down was a different story.  I had been so comfortable up there enjoying the views, that I forgot all about the elevator.  I ended up being the last one on and so I was pressed up against the glass as we descended.  I hyperventilated and had to turn around and stare at the floor to keep from going full panic attack mode.

For the most part, I've overcome this fear.  At least I know it's irrational.  I'll readily get into planes now.  Before, there needed to be a really valid reason for me to fly before I'd even consider getting into a plane.  I know people will laugh at this considering it as rather silly, but how many of those same people will shudder when looking at either one of the photos I've used for this post?

Fears are irrational.  I think Franklin Delano Roosevelt said it best when he stated in his first inaugural speech, "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

For other stories about Fears, click here.