Winnie G Posted June 11, 2005 Report Posted June 11, 2005 Have any of you overcome a fear that you have hidden for years? I did not learn to drive till I was 32. Yes 32! I use to be afraid of escalators; it comes from having my shoelace being sucked in to one as a child. I was terrified of them up until 12 years a go. A girl friend when she found out, decided she was going to make it her duty to rid me of that fear while my husband was in Yugoslavia on peace keeping duty. We would go to the mall and she would make me stand in front of a down escalator and say “step down” just as I needed to. We would do this for an hour at times till I could do it on my own. To this day my husband encourages me, “good going babe”! Well last night I conquered a really BIG ONE! We took our granddaughter (and her parents) to the Manitoba Fair. I have a fear of RIDES, my first husband promised to hold on to me once knowing I was terrified of rides. He took me on a BIG roller coaster (Dumb Bu*&) I tried to climb out wile the ride was still going! It was all he could do to keep me in the ride. When it came to a stop I was screaming and hitting him. The operators opened our car first and pulled me off him. A Medic took me off to the side and gave me oxygen. I thought I was going to die and figured claiming out was my only way out. Scary Huh? My husband now of course took me to the fairest wheel (A huge one!) and said “Ill hold on to you the hole time I won’t let go”. We stood in line for 20 Min and it was not till we walked up the stairs I turned to him and said “I don’t think this is a good idea”. Too Late! I was in the car and he was right there with me. When it took off I thought “OH No here I go” I made it around to the top way UP there! And before I know it the sky filled with fireworks! We were at the top and stopped. He know what time they started. I love my hubby! I enjoyed the rest of the ride and went home as high as the ride. He reminded me of a promise he made to me years ago before we were married that he would replace every band memory I had with good ones. ie: asking me to marry him on Valentines day because he know it was not a happy memory for me, my father was buried on Valentines day. He also asked me what else I wanted I told him know one has ever one me something. $20.00 dollars later I had this huge Scoobiedoo dog! Last night I did not feel 46. Quote
begood2 Posted June 12, 2005 Report Posted June 12, 2005 Winnie G, I think that you found a keeper! :) I hope that you and your husband have many wonderful years and memories to share with each other and your children! :) Quote
StrawberryFields Posted June 12, 2005 Report Posted June 12, 2005 Oh Winnie, I love to read your stories! I could just see the operators and the medics coming to your aide. :) I think that most people who are afraid of rides start with something like a carousal. You were very brave to start with the BIG ones. Fear is a very interesting thing. Sometimes it keeps us from harm but sometimes it disables us to a fault. I think that you are great for facing your fears. Several years ago a friend recommended me a book called "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway". I believe that this is what you did! Thanks for sharing your stories with us. You a very Special Winnie. :) Quote
DisRuptive1 Posted June 15, 2005 Report Posted June 15, 2005 It's uplifting to conquer fears too. Sadly, I've run out of them to conquer Quote
Lindy Posted June 15, 2005 Report Posted June 15, 2005 Winnie~ what a wonderful husband you have to have the foresight to do something special like that for you! You are a lucky lucky woman :) Quote
Traveler Posted June 15, 2005 Report Posted June 15, 2005 Originally posted by DisRuptive1@Jun 14 2005, 09:46 PM It's uplifting to conquer fears too. Sadly, I've run out of them to conquer Good for you - I have never been able to get over being shot at!!The Traveler Quote
Guest Taoist_Saint Posted June 15, 2005 Report Posted June 15, 2005 Aside from my day to day fears of imaginary things (ocd stuff)...I have fear of heights, which I never bothered to conquer. I just decided to stay low to the ground. I am not afraid of airplane travel, so its not an inconvenience. I am also afraid of being eaten alive by a wild animal...lions, bears, sharks. I am also afraid of being burned alive. I'm sure that's normal, and I don't really think about those things very much. But I think that would be the most frightening experience I could imagine. Quote
Lindy Posted June 16, 2005 Report Posted June 16, 2005 Don't feel alone with the heights fear TS....that's one of those things I had to work around. I was terrified of falling from high places.... and what better remedy than to go out with a bunch of friends to a local towering cliff, and hook up to a piece of metal on a rope and learn to repel down said cliff. I made sure I had someone I trusted at the bottom hooked into the end of the rope. And I wasn't smart enough to stop once I made my way down...oh no .... I let the guys talk me into doing the "Slide For Life" as they called it. It was a rush I have to admit.....once I stopped screaming! I have a new respect for heights now.....not as terrified as I was...as long as I'm in control of my descent Quote
Guest Taoist_Saint Posted June 16, 2005 Report Posted June 16, 2005 Originally posted by lindy9556@Jun 15 2005, 07:31 PM Don't feel alone with the heights fear TS....that's one of those things I had to work around. I was terrified of falling from high places.... and what better remedy than to go out with a bunch of friends to a local towering cliff, and hook up to a piece of metal on a rope and learn to repel down said cliff. I'll think about it Quote
Traveler Posted June 17, 2005 Report Posted June 17, 2005 Originally posted by Taoist_Saint+Jun 16 2005, 03:55 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Taoist_Saint @ Jun 16 2005, 03:55 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--lindy9556@Jun 15 2005, 07:31 PM Don't feel alone with the heights fear TS....that's one of those things I had to work around. I was terrified of falling from high places.... and what better remedy than to go out with a bunch of friends to a local towering cliff, and hook up to a piece of metal on a rope and learn to repel down said cliff. I'll think about it I did not think I had a fear of heights until I was on a job and there was a 150 foot storage rack that had a stairway at the back attached at the top, bottom and about 1/3 the way up. We were having a problem with a robotic crane and I took off up the stairway to check it out. The robotic crane movements caused the stairway to sway about a foot and a half side to side and I only made it half way up. I had to send someone else up with a radio. It took me two weeks to get to the top going a little farther each day at work trying to get over my fear. The last time if visited that site I could not get even half way. So much for conquering fears.The Traveler Quote
Lindy Posted June 17, 2005 Report Posted June 17, 2005 Originally posted by Traveler+Jun 17 2005, 02:04 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Traveler @ Jun 17 2005, 02:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Originally posted by -Taoist_Saint@Jun 16 2005, 03:55 PM <!--QuoteBegin--lindy9556@Jun 15 2005, 07:31 PM Don't feel alone with the heights fear TS....that's one of those things I had to work around. I was terrified of falling from high places.... and what better remedy than to go out with a bunch of friends to a local towering cliff, and hook up to a piece of metal on a rope and learn to repel down said cliff. I'll think about it I did not think I had a fear of heights until I was on a job and there was a 150 foot storage rack that had a stairway at the back attached at the top, bottom and about 1/3 the way up. We were having a problem with a robotic crane and I took off up the stairway to check it out. The robotic crane movements caused the stairway to sway about a foot and a half side to side and I only made it half way up. I had to send someone else up with a radio. It took me two weeks to get to the top going a little farther each day at work trying to get over my fear. The last time if visited that site I could not get even half way. So much for conquering fears.The Traveler Holy cow.... I don't think I would have had the nerve to even TRY it again, sounds dangerous as high as it was...and more like a carnival funhouse event with the swaying from side to side. You had more nerve than a lot of people to even try to climb it again. Hats off to the Traveler ! Hoo hoo hoo!! Quote
Traveler Posted June 18, 2005 Report Posted June 18, 2005 Enough of the fear stuff. This is kind of a funny story but a little scarey. It was at a Auto plant that was to be a unmanned complete robotic factory. I was testing out a new kind of AGV. AGV stand for automated guided vehicle. This new model was an automated fork truck that was supposed to pick up pallets off the floor. Big problem for a robot because it has to sense where the pallet is - most agv’s pick the load from a special stand. The concept was a little nuts but somebody was sure we could make it work. Anyway I was working on the software model that figured out how to get the AGV around the plant without hitting things, getting lost or in traffic jams. I was in the computer room with no way of seeing the factory floor. I had a union guy from the plant out on the floor with a radio but there was too much interference to communicate well. I had about 6 AGV’s running around keeping track of them on a display. We could only use part of the plant floor for test because there was still a lot of construction going on. One of the Fork AGV’s was traveling down the back side of the plant and the watch man lost track of it. BTW these things weigh about 2 ton. Someone had left a fire hose on a metal spool hinged to the wall open and not up against the wall. The AGV went by and tore it off the wall (the hose was at the perfect height to miss all the sensors). The hose was caught on the AGV that was dragging the metal spool behind. Sometime later the AGV went by a construction area where a guy was working on electrical stuff on a mark lift about 60 feet up at the ceiling. The metal spool went into the construction area when the AGV turned a corner and caught the mark life and started dragging it sideways. The workman at the top realized the problem and attached his safety harness to the ceiling just as the AGV pulled the mark lift over leafing the guy dangling from the ceiling. Robots can be a lot of fun at parties but sometimes at work they are a real drag. :) The Traveler Quote
Setheus Posted June 18, 2005 Report Posted June 18, 2005 Originally posted by Traveler+Jun 15 2005, 04:32 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Traveler @ Jun 15 2005, 04:32 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--DisRuptive1@Jun 14 2005, 09:46 PM It's uplifting to conquer fears too. Sadly, I've run out of them to conquer Good for you - I have never been able to get over being shot at!!The Traveler The trick to that "fear" is to get the mind set of "YOU MEET TH' FOCKERs!! " ...with extinsive training. When I get shot at I think to myself. "Ok, he just put a bullet over my head. Now I'm gonna put 2 IN his ! Three most important rules when "Getting over the fear of getting shot at"1. Trigger control. (most important)2. Sight Alignment.3. Breathe.And a little saying I like to remember. <span style='color:blue'> "Slow is smoothe. Smoothe is fast." Quote
Traveler Posted June 21, 2005 Report Posted June 21, 2005 Originally posted by Setheus+Jun 18 2005, 02:36 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Setheus @ Jun 18 2005, 02:36 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Originally posted by -Traveler@Jun 15 2005, 04:32 PM <!--QuoteBegin--DisRuptive1@Jun 14 2005, 09:46 PM It's uplifting to conquer fears too. Sadly, I've run out of them to conquer Good for you - I have never been able to get over being shot at!!The Traveler The trick to that "fear" is to get the mind set of "YOU MEET TH' FOCKERs!! " ...with extinsive training. When I get shot at I think to myself. "Ok, he just put a bullet over my head. Now I'm gonna put 2 IN his ! Three most important rules when "Getting over the fear of getting shot at"1. Trigger control. (most important)2. Sight Alignment.3. Breathe.And a little saying I like to remember. <span style='color:blue'> "Slow is smoothe. Smoothe is fast." Part of my fear over being shot at is the consideration and execution of alternatives.The Traveler Quote
Lindy Posted June 21, 2005 Report Posted June 21, 2005 Originally posted by Traveler@Jun 21 2005, 03:03 PM Part of my fear over being shot at is the consideration and execution of alternatives. Part of my fear IS to be shot at! Quote
Traveler Posted June 22, 2005 Report Posted June 22, 2005 Originally posted by lindy9556+Jun 21 2005, 04:28 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (lindy9556 @ Jun 21 2005, 04:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--Traveler@Jun 21 2005, 03:03 PM Part of my fear over being shot at is the consideration and execution of alternatives. Part of my fear IS to be shot at! That part is not as bad as you think. It is kind of like lighting striking. By time you hear the shot and figure out what is going on - it is all over and if you are not bleeding then you just literally dodged a bullet but you are left to figure out what to do next - and that is something even thinking about is fearful to me.Lucky for me I have no idea what it is like to be shot.The Traveler Quote
Guest lt Posted June 23, 2005 Report Posted June 23, 2005 I use to be terrified of heights, now I can atleast do things in high places and think of good thoughts while im doing it....I sang hymns while we went through the mountains, in fear i would roll off them lol lol But I made it through following my husband will only a small panic attack My other fear is still being worked on.... Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.