Fear II
Thursday 20th December
As someone who wants to deal with his well documented fear of heights, I instantly accepted the other day when we were invited to go up the Church Tower in the village I work. The trip was to have a look at the clock workings, since my company has donated money towards an electric winding mechanism.
Immediately after accepting, I then regretted it and the fear began to build. But there was no way I was chickening out of this one.
Well, it seems the access was via a tiny, and very steep spiral staircase (one of my least favourite methods of changing my height above ground) and a ladder (my absolute least favourite method of changing my height above ground).
Stairs…
Ladder…
My favourite bit (irony in use there) was on the way back down - stepping over the hatch and trying to find a working rung for my foot, while holding on to the incredibly wobbly top of the ladder.
But considering that I had paused on the way up the first spiral and nearly fell at the first hurdle, I am definitely rather pleased with myself. Deep breath, count to ten, get on with it…
And even people who aren’t scared of heights had trouble with some parts of the outing.
Oh… and the clock was quite interesting. We’d seen photos and expected this monstrous piece of olde fashioned engineering, but in fact it was rather dainty.
I am with you on that one, stu
Lordhutton
20 Dec 07 at 3:06 pm
On our honeymoon, we visited some old lighthouses. They had the wrought iron spiral steps that you can see through. I don’t like heights either. The first lighthouse was very scary, but all the rest got easier and easier.
Guess who’s idea it was to go visit lighthouses? Duh, mine! Guess I should have researched that one a little better.
Ladders are the same way. The more you climb them, the less scary they get. I don’t have near the problems climbing a 24 foot extension ladder as I once did. Also the view from someone’s 2nd story porch roof is usually pretty interesting.
I do have a fork-lift fear. And we had to go paint in a factory where the dreaded fork-lift lives. Needless to say, I didn’t get run over. (This time anyway.) Would it be “fear-a-fork-a-phobia” I have? Say that 10 times fast!
Debster
20 Dec 07 at 3:40 pm
Well done. Not 7 wild goats could have made me climb that. I don’t even like stepping up on the curb.
Debster, how funny that you also have a fear of being run over by a fork-lift! I thought I was the only one. Damn those fork-lifts. Make up your minds already. Are you a fork? Are you a lift? MAKE A DECISION.
plume
21 Dec 07 at 12:05 am
What about 8 goats, Plume?
Or what if the goats were in the tower and needed rescuing?
I’m fascinated by this fork-lift thing, Debster. I gues it’s quite sensible to be wary, though. where fork-lifts are rushing around.
stu
21 Dec 07 at 10:05 am
Yes, I used to think the fork-lifts were confined inside factories. But a number of years ago within 20 miles of where we live, one was outside and accidentally ran over a person! So they can be lurking anywhere.
Debster
21 Dec 07 at 8:23 pm
I’m weird. I really love heights.
rob
21 Dec 07 at 8:27 pm
I don’t have a fear of heights. I can look up at anything, regardless of it’s height.
It is fear of depths that I have…..
rollasoc
31 Dec 07 at 2:07 pm