Childhood fears Conquered

This past weekend, my family and I went to Six Flags St. Louis. Since I grew up about an hour and 10 minutes away from it, going back brought back a lot of memories, good and bad.
I knew I wanted to do one thing for sure, going into the park that day. I was going to go on Mr. Freeze, or die trying. For those of you that don't know, Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast is a roller coaster that just like it sounds, blasts off in reverse. You go through everything backwards, including up a steep incline, and then back down again forwards.

Mr. Freeze: Reverse Blast
Photo found via Pinterest

When I was a kid, I was terrified to ride it. My friends tried to convince me multiple times on school field trips, because then, it was the "cool, new ride." I would ride just about any ride, but this one. I think it was something about going backwards up 150 ft. in the air, that just seemed to scary at the time. 

Yet, at 18, somehow I was brave enough to try out the Dragon's Wing, which to many, would be much scarier. It was kind of expensive, but I went with one of my best friend's at the time. Today I still consider it worth the extra money I spent. 

Dragon's Wing
Photo courtesy of Six Flags St. Louis

Who knows what drives our fears? I can definitely say that they aren't always rational. But, regardless, we fear what we fear. Lately, I have been trying very hard to conquer my fears, and I'd say so far, it's paid off every time.

I am sure, there are some fears that are rational, which I have no intention of overcoming. I still fear a great many things. But, it's those irrational fears that I can narrow down into the "wimping out" category that I have been parting with. 

So, did I finally do Mr. Freeze? 

Mr. Freeze conquered.

OK, so that's a terrible photo of me. I had been out in the hot sun, had been on water rides and was wearing a shirt that belongs to Reagan (AKA tiny shirt). I maybe didn't end the day looking very attractive, but I conquered my fear. 

Not to mention, I got a sweet Henna tattoo on my shoulder. Reagan, Noah, Logan, Alicia, Boston, James and Maela were all there too, getting to ride most of the rides they wanted for the day as well. We had a blast. Not only did I squash a childhood fear, but I got to spend a day with the best family I could ask for. Life doesn't get much better than that. 

If that's not joy, I don't know what it. 

Dreams, easier dreamed than accomplished

Ever since I was a teenager, I have been interested in biographies, particularly autobiographies. It was probably odd when I was in high school, but now that I am getting older...it's maybe a little less odd, but maybe not. 

I think it goes back to my recent post about how intriguing people inspire me to stick to the journalism world. I just want to learn more about people and why they do what they do. 

Now, I generally don't care for political biographies etc., because to be honest, who wants to read about someone tooting their own horn or using their own story to get voters? Not me. I get enough of that during election times on the TV, radio and social media. I like to read about people who are pop culture icons for some reason. I like to see what they've accomplished in their personal lives', besides what we see on TV or in the movies. 

Lately, I have been reading "Talking As Fast As I Can," by Lauren Graham (Lorelei off of Gilmore Girls). She is hilarious! But, fundamentally, it makes me realize how similar people are. Sure, she has some stories that differ from my own, but deep down, she is someone who worked to get where she is today. That's what almost everyone does. 

She was an average teenage girl who went for her dreams. I think that's what sets your typical person and a lot of household names apart. They went for their dreams, and they didn't stop and that's what got them their "moment in the spotlight" or however you want to put it. We are all the same in many ways, but striving to meet our goals and making our dreams come true is what sets us apart from the rest. 

Not everyone can have their dream job, and I would be lying if I said they could. I mean, what child grows up dreaming they will work at McDonald's? (OK. That's a bad example, because kids might want to, but you get my point.) We need people to fix our dishwashers, take our trash to the dump, work in a butcher shop etc., but that may not have been their dream. So, I am glad in many ways for those who maybe give up their dreams to help serve others in various capacities.

However, we should never stop dreaming. There's always a dream to work towards, even if your dream changes with time. I plan to make most of my dreams come true, but if not, I am going to go down fighting :) 

Insecurity: Our own worst enemy

I've been thinking a lot about insecurity. It plagued me for years, and still does from time to time. The funny thing is, so many others feel it too about themselves, although it's easy sometimes to feel like you're the only one who has insecurities. Some feel insecure about their performance at work, about the way they appear to others and even worse, sometimes their ability to be the type of human being they should be.
I think that's why EVERYONE should have something that they are passionate about. Say, for instance, you love cooking. That's great, if you want to continue to work at it and excel at it, do it. But, when that passion fades, as most passion does at one point or another, find a new passion. If you don't you can't always find yourself in what seems like a dark and dull world.
Some people can find enthusiasm in the same activity or goal for years, as long as they keep challenging themselves. I think that's why I've been pretty care free lately. While the world is sometimes crashing down around me, I know I am still making progress on my own personal goals. Each little goal success makes me almost giddy. It makes me want to sing and dance around to music, or just smile a little more than normal.
It makes you feel just a little bit better about yourself, just long enough to quiet some of those insecurities. Even if it's just for a little while, focus on helping yourself. I've heard often that you can't help others until you help yourself. I think that's true, to a large extent. However, you need to stay in tune to what others around you need as well, or you'll just be a self-absorbed person. It's a tricky balance I think. But, battle your own insecurities first. Then, maybe, just maybe, you can go out of your way to reach out to another and make them feel good about themselves as well.

The itch for jaw-dropping intrigue

I've worked quite a few jobs in my young life, less than some, but more than others. Almost every time I worked at a basic customer service job, especially when I worked at Wally World, I would hear negative comments about customers. It was never done to their faces, and often done away from customers at all. It's just part of working in a customer service industry sadly. For whatever reason, a customer might be in a bad mood and they don't think about how they are treating the employee of the store. But, yes, some people are just jerks. 

My least favorite comment of all time, that I heard a lot of, was "I hate people." That's such a sordid blanket statement. I can understand feeling negative towards customers throughout the day, but people, in my opinion are the best part about living.

I think that's why I went into journalism, though now I choose to practice my field on my own terms and in my own time. If I don't want a job, I don't take it. It's a beautiful way of life. Many people tend to think "if you want to eat, you take a job....no matter how bad it is." I can do that for a time, but do a job you hate for too long and you'll end up miserable. Take it from me, I've done it. One job I kept for nine months. I know nine months sounds like very little time to most, but it was the longest job of my life. 

Through journalism, I have been able to explore the world that others live in. It's an unbelievable feeling to be able to see the world through another person's eyes. Among my favorite articles that come to mind, is the story of a cross country coach in Stockton and his friend who is a handy man. In their spare time, they trained and qualified for American Ninja Warrior.  The dedication these two have is amazing. In fact, I'd go as far as to say, that they were some of the many who inspired me to go on my current athletic journey. Seeing people excel, who have no intention of giving up no matter how hard it may be, is amazing. I get many opportunities to explore the "why" behind what people do and see what drives them, while asking more and more questions. 

Though to some, it might sound crazy, I think my pursuit of journalism in many ways can be selfless and selfish. It's selfless, because it's a service business. You write about the people for the people, or at least that's what you're supposed to do. But, it can be selfish, because sometimes, as a journalist, you just want to satisfy your own curiosity. 

Either way, I know being surprised often by people is something I love about life. Without different perspectives, goals, beliefs and choices....life just wouldn't be as beautiful. So, surprise me. I dare you. ;)