One day in 2007 at a family camp that we go to every year; I just recently turned six around this time and was still somewhat curious about my surroundings. Eager to see the wildlife and play around at the new location that I was still starting to grow accustomed to. It seemed like a nature walk type of place; A place where you would bird watch and possibly ride a horse. The trees surrounding the almost silent camp made it perfect for wildlife to wander and made for a perfect week to stay outdoors and play. The fog in the mornings made for a perfect picture of the lake next to the edge of the beachfront. The boardwalk that leads all the way around the lake was wet with the dew of the morning mist. The smell of the camp was the smell of rain when it just starts but doesn’t rain, making for the perfect day.

So during the week, I found a slide that was tall but yet sturdy. It was a silver steep slide and pretty much the third/fourth slide I have ever been on. So the first time I climbed the ladder, there were butterflies in my stomach about how tall the slide really was. The second I got to the top I saw ? of the camp’s beauty. I wasn’t thinking and fell off the very top of the slide; pretty much turning into a human lawn dart and landed square on my head. I thought that I was going to die, but the reality was that I pretty much full on dived onto wood chips and dirt from a reasonable height, but no major injuries. Dirt covering my face and hair, minutes waiting for someone to check on me felt like hours.

The fall made me realize how easy it is to fall off of anything. This also made me afraid of heights and made me feel unsafe with stuff involving heights. The realization that some things are unpredictable and I can’t control that was an eye-opener. Now I am starting to get over the fear of heights because I don’t want fear to control me.