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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Ta-Da!!!

Vava & Friend (still!)
I hate heights....and it's not a laughing matter.  My Guy and I were adult guests at Frontier Camp a couple of summers ago.  Young Life's mantra is "...it's the best week of your life."  (You wouldn't think so by the look at those faces, huh?).

We were fired up.  We love Young Life.  The kids.  The staff.  And, Frontier Camp's setting was uhhh....not so bad.  You can check it out right here!  We were told that we "get" to do everything the kids do.  Yup, I was fired up.  I didn't go to a YL camp as a teen - always wanted to, but it just wasn't in the plan. 

Don't forget, I am VERY afraid of heights.  The first day we "got" to rapel; but even before then, we had to get there.  It was a gruesome climb.  My Guy told me later he was thinking to himself, "how am I going to get Vava down from here?"


We were maybe 16 in our group....and I gladly waited until almost the very end. In the meantime, I prayed a lot.  I asked the workers "what if???"  Have they had someone refuse to go down?  They informed me it'd be much harder climbing down, than rapeling. 

It was not fun.  I used muscles to hold onto that rope that came outta nowhere.  In a picture I actually look like I HAVE a muscle.  Every bone, fiber, muscle, sinew in my body was in action.  It was not fun.  But I did it!  Ta-da!!!

That big ole swing is called The Screamer. Everyone else in our group participated the first moment they could.  I was NOT going to do it.  But, as time went on, God was talking to me about oh, so many things.  Fear was one.  Fear of what was going on with #2 son, fear of our future, fear of...heights.  I thought I just better get over it.  Thankfully, my friend and I bit the bullet together. Every time I look at our faces; I roar!  I can't get over how FEARFUL we look. 

Other activities put fear in me as well.  A hike up a mountain to 13,000 feet that took FOUR hours (1 way!) nearly sent me over.  As we started the trek, I would have the urge to hurl, every 15 minutes.  Altitude sickness. 
          (At some points, on our way UP, everyone in the camp (500/600 of us!) were on itty, bitty trails.)

One sight kept me going - two YL counselors carried a young lady unable to walk all the way.  And while doing so, she moaned, and THEY were cheering her on.  "C'mon, we can do it.  We're making it to the top."  The 3 of them were a sight to behold.

I did make it.  It took 4 hours.  Our entire group was gathered at the summit and our leader was praying over us.  It was breathtaking and inspiring. Ta-da!!!

The trip down was a bit quicker.  I let My Guy go....he'd been by my side on the way up and I was slowing him down.  And, then in HIS place, a YL counselor, some college dude and dude-ess, put me in the middle of them.  The 3 of us slipped and slid down the mountain side.  We made it.  Ta-da!!!

I've got a "Ta-Da List" going now.  Sounds healthier than a Bucket List, right?  One of my to-do's on my Ta-Da is to jump out of an airplane.  I came close last month.  Some of the "kids" at My Guy's office did it last month; but we couldn't make it.  If you think the picture of me on The Screamer is a scream, wait until you see me when I am jumping (thrown) out of a plane.

Oh...I overheard My Guy telling someone on the phone...after we got back to reality:  "It was THE best week of my life!"

A friend of mine posted today how she was a black sheep (in a good sense), that is - being true to yourself, not afraid of what others think or do.  I love that!  Fear-LESS.

As I've blogged about already, 2010 is exciting to me in many ways.  Being authentic, fearless, living life to the fullest is on my list.  Let's get cracking!

What's on your Ta-Da List? 









6 comments:

Pam said...

Love the Ta-Da list instead of the Bucket list.. can't stand heights. Is it sad if I don't have anything on my list? I honestly feel that if I died tomorrow I would die a happy, content, fulfilled woman. I have traveled to many places, have a wonderful husband and family and I saw Oprah! Wait...I do have one thing on my list..I need to meet my TP sisters!! xoxo Ta-Da-Va!!!

Vava (aka Virginia) said...

I'd say, Pam, you're one healthy chick then!!! Love your attitude!

Emily said...

You are too funny Vava! I just want to travel more and learn a different language (I already took tons of French in school, so something other than that), and renovate an old home. Nothing extreme excites me, so I'll stick with the simpler things that just make me smile and leave the danger to you!

Dianne said...

Danger is NOT on my list!!! I want to have grandchildren and rock those babies until we are all dizzy!!!! Should I tell Dorsey and Andy to read this? :)

Tricia said...

That first pic is priceless!! Love it. :)

Anonymous said...

LOVE this post VA!!! The pictures are priceless, and kudos to you for the big finish! Ta-Da!
I'm afraid of heights and flying, But I'd still love to climb a mountain...Like Mt. Kilimanjaro,
and safari all over Africa. I'd also like to help build a home or raise a barn like the Amish do,
or Habitat for Humanity. For me, that would feel like a huge Ta-Da! XOXO!