If I Only Had A Brain

That is how I felt this past weekend.  We had family come visit for the weekend and of course they wanted to see the scenery but with the fires we couldn't go to the places originally planned on.  So we went down to Canon City to the Royal Gorge.

Ok..now I am absolutely petrifed of heights.  Big time!!!! So we get there, and after paying the astronomically large amount to get in, everybody was ready to head on over the bridge.  I was perfectly content to sit on this side and wait...well my DMIL decided to wait with me.  Well, where my brain went I do not know but I didn't want her to not experience the walk across. So there I go.

I did NOT look down..I did NOT look up..I looked kind of a head of me.  Why?  Well they are rail road ties that are bolted to the wires but....they are not exactly board to board..there are a few minimal (hahaha) gaps and they are a little uneven and I sure as heck did not want to trip and fall since I was wearing flip flops...I know duh...the tennis shoes were in the car though...really helpful right?

So trying to keep my mind off of the walk across a suspension bridge that is 956 feet high and 1270 feet long  I started chanting and chanting with a little bit of hyperventilating..just keep walking, just keep walking..with a few prayers to the man upstairs..I made it across.  Yeah!!!

Well...you have to walk back across to get to the car...duh....I figured by this time I could just become part of the scenery and spend the rest of my days on this side of the bridge but no such luck.  My husband said I should take the little trolley bus back across but that would put my life in someone elses hands and that wasn't happening.

So I psyche myself up and off I go...don't touch me, don't talk to me....nothing...well....not a single song would pop into my head to take my mind of walking (looking like a duck I am sure so I wouldn't trip) except one....the Marine Corp Hymn...so here I go duck walking across the bridge, hands out in front of me  (why I don't know) and singing " From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli" not real quiet either.

I get half way across...and it starts getting really windy...I start freaking out and stop...can't go forward, can't go back and sure as heck can't stay there...I yell for my husband...he runs back (which of course didn't make me happy--the running part)....I grab his arm like my life depends on it..which it does...and it is so hot and sun screeny that holding on is not really great, but it is working... I figure in a month or two all of the nail marks and bruises will be gone from his arm...I yell at the kids to get away from the side and to get off the stinking bridge.....up ahead there are teenagers jumping up and down..now why you would do this on a bridge up in the middle of no where is totally beyond me anyway..luckily their mother saw that I was losing it rather quickly and made them stop - at least until I passed. Needless to say I did make it across the bridge and with few tears. 

I then watched my husband and middle son zip line off the canyon.  Yes, I did make sure the life insurance policies were up to date first.  I love the fact that they were not afraid but it helped me not one bit.

Moral of the story...my husband is my hero (although his idea of almost there and mine are vastly different) , conquering your fear of heights by doing something with heights does NOT conquer your fear of heights no matter what anyone says and finally if you want good pictures make sure to give the camera to someone who will actually use it.

Entrance

Overlook by the entrance...no I couldn't get any closer...

The Other side..once I could actually hold something without shaking uncontrollably.

Hope everyone had a great day.

Michelle