I remember going on a field trip to some adventure camp in 5th grade. It was all about trusting your classmates and team building. We crossed over an open field filled with kids our age doing pointless ice-breakers, running around and, driving their instructors crazy. Just past them we saw the obstacle course and approached the rock wall. The object of this course was for someone to get into a harness, and try to climb a long, never ending wall that led up to a tight rope you would then have to walk across. I looked up, the sun blinding me, and gazed at the sky piercing structure. I was terrified, but I did it anyway. One of the instructors of the camp gave me a harness. He seemed nice. He explained to me how a long rope extended down from the top of the structure allowing me to be pulled up if I needed help. The thick and rough texture made me feel sturdy as I got fastened in. The harness hugged me as I walked/hopped over to where I was supposed to climb. I heard the instructor talking to another student in my class. He was a short boy, with long blonde hair covering his shy face. I didn’t really pay attention to what they were saying because I was trying to figure out how I was supposed to climb this giant thing. I touched the cool, hard surface of the rock wall, and looked up at the tight rope I was going to walk across. From here it looked like dental floss. “This will hold me right?” I asked. “Yeah of course!” the instructor absentmindedly assured me. “Do you see that kid over there?” he said. “Yeah, I know him, he’s in my class.” I said. “Well, he’s going to be holding the rope attached to your harness.” My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, and my heart sank to my toes. “So, he-he’s, what is he in charge of?” my voice shook as I asked this. “Well, he is going to be holding you up by pulling on the rope. The more he pulls the higher up you’ll go.” The instructor said. I looked up at the top of the structure, analyzing the rope and harness system. It worked like a pulley, if one end let go the other would fall. “Well, what if he lets go?” The instructor chuckles, “well, let’s hope that doesn’t happen!” I felt a tug as I started getting pulled towards the sky. “Grab on to the wall and climb!” Yelled a voice from below. The wind violently whipped my hair and I extended a shaky hand out to one of the rock wall’s knobs. My foot palpated the wall until it found a sturdy place to rest it’s weight. “My life is in his hands” I whispered.

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Looking back I realize how dramatic that is. I also realize that the instructor would not let me fall, and it would be pretty hard to considering I was in a harness. However I didn’t realize that then, so you can imagine the sheer terror that came over me when I thought my life rested in the hands of someone not much taller than me.

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  “Oh my god what if he let’s go” I started to panic, but it was mild. By mild I mean I almost started crying, but whatever. I figured that if I got to the top I would be safe since it was a flat surface, so I began my never ending journey to the top! As I reached the mid-way point of the wall my muscles started to ache. I sighed, and groaned, and pushed myself through it. I reached up to grab the next knob, when my foot slipped. I flew off the wall for just a moment, my limbs waving frantically, just to come crashing back into it creating a loud thud. I thought for sure I was going to knock the wall over. Of course I didn’t, so I sat there swinging aimlessly in the air. That’s when I had the bright idea to look down. As I peered down to see what the world looked like from underneath me, I realized how much people looked like blobs from a distance. Even the most important people look like blobs when you get way above them, literally. Even though I thought of myself as artistic, and smart at that moment, I was still suspended in the air being held up by a 5th grader, so I should probably grab hold of one of the rock walls knobs. I climbed the rest of the way up and felt accomplished in myself. I was safe from falling! I felt successful for a second until I realized my next obstacle lay right front of me, walking across the tight rope. Another instructor at the top proceeded to tie another rope to my harness so I wouldn’t fall off the flimsy obstacle that I was somehow supposed to conquer. My mind flooded with thoughts of me falling and dying but, I pushed onward anyway. I stuck my foot out, closed my eyes, and hoped for the best. Gravity overtook me. One step and I fell effortlessly towards the earth. I thought I was gonna die. A sharp and sudden jerk rerouted me from falling on my face to being launched towards the sky. My good old harness! I hung in the air for a few seconds until I was pulled safely to the ground. “What an adventure!” I said. “Who’s next?” The instructor said as he took my harness off. Although that was pretty cool, I was genuinely relieved to be back on the ground.