Firstly, I shall begin by telling you just how ridiculously petrified I am of certain things.
1. Deep water. I can swim, but I refuse to go into any water where I can’t stand up. and I need to know that if I did accidently wander, could I grab something. I have even made old ladies and small children go around me once, when I realised at the local swimming pool that I couldn’t put my feet on the floor. I didn’t care if the child didn’t want to or not, there was no way that I was moving from the side.
I think that my fear of deep water started when I was a kid, and I went along to Cudworth baths to learn to swim. Something that all children back then had to do. I was even scared of putting my face in the water, let alone my head underneath. One of the swimming instructors who was teaching us called me to the side of the pool and grabbed my hair and pushed me down under the water,I panicked so much that since then I have never put my head under.
2. Shut in places. I get into a right panic if I have to go into a small place. I’m not talking anything extreme like potholing. I can remember once screaming the shop down all because the lady who owned it locked the door, so that no-more customers could come in and she could have her dinner. I honestly thought that she’d locked the door so that we couldn’t get out. Although in my defence I was only about six years old and not sixty something.
3. Heights. Now this is my really big fear. I am so terrified of heights, to the point that even if I watch something on the internet and it contains people doing silly things, such as standing on the ledge of a cliff, I feel myself going dizzy whilst sat on my settee.
Years ago, I went to Blackpool with my daughter’s and my eldest granddaughter. Of course she wanted to go up the tower to the viewing platform. Well, I didn’t want to look a right wimp so I agreed. I swear I thought I was going to be sick.
I found a small screw that was stuck out a tiny fraction and by God I held onto that screw for dear life - and I wasn’t the only one. Joanna, my daughter wasn’t much better. But, I would just like to say that yes it took me and Joanna a long time but we did eventually let go of the sides of the tower and venture on to the platform.
I was really proud of myself and Joanna because by the end of our time up there we were laid on the glass. And no, I hadn’t passed out. I just laid there not really daring to move, but nonetheless on it. Not too sure I could do it again.
So, you can imagine how surprised they all were when, wondering what to get me and Pete for our big birthdays, they discovered that I had written on my bucket list, a helicopter flight.
Well, the day finally came after having it cancelled last year. Oh, I was so excited! Although the helicopter was smaller than I thought, I was amazed watching it take off and veer over as the passengers before us had their turn, and then it was our turn. I can honestly say that I didn’t once hesitate, and I absolutely loved every minute of it as we flew over York. I didn’t scream or burst into tears once. I felt quite proud of myself. I have the bug.
I may become an adrenaline junky. Or maybe not. I need to be able to climb the ladders when decorating first without shouting for someone to hold the ladder and that’s only about three foot off the ground. Parachuting may have to wait.
