Learning I Can Do Hard Things

Last week I learned that I can do hard things.  I can.

My parents are currently serving a mission at a girls camp and 2 times during the summer their family is able to go up and visit them.  As such my brother, my sister, her husband, and myself when up there to visit them. As soon as we got there they took us straight to a couple of the challenge courses that the girls get to do while they are there at the camp.  On one of the challenge courses you climb what is very much like a telephone pole (that is a foot off the ground and sways) with notches in the sides up to a wire that you then have to cross and go down a zip line.  Everyone in my family got the opportunity to do this challenge course.

The first time I climbed it (it took me 2 tries) I reached about the 3/4 mark where you have to switch your feet in a tiny notch and I fell off.  I couldn't quite figure out how to fit both of my feet into the notch so that I could keep climbing.  Also the man that was anchoring me was trying to help by pulling up on the rope which actually started to pull me away from the log.  I couldn't hold on anymore and I had to release my grip and be lowered down.  I then sat on the sideline and stared at the log that had defeated me.  I couldn't let it win.  I couldn't be the one that didn't make it.  I tried again.

That's Me (picture courtesy of my sister)

The second time when I reached the spot that I had to switch my feet I just concentrated and did it.  I then just had the "easy" task of walking across a long wire to a platform.  Until that Saturday I have never been afraid of heights but walking across that shaky wire with the constant threat of losing my grip, I was terrified. There is now a picture of me out there that shows how I look when I am feeling shear and complete terror.

After making it across the wire it was a breeze (if only).  I made it to the platform and only had the last task of riding down a zip line.  You would think that this would be the best part and the pay off to all the hard work and determination required in the first two part of this challenge course.  For me though, you would be wrong.  Zip lines are not an easy thing for me to do.  When I was younger my uncle had a zip line in his backyard (still does) and on one of our Sunday evenings that we get together as an extended family I decided to go down the zip line.  This was a bad choice for me because as would be my luck the zip line decided to break as I rode it.  I fell a long ways (it was a very long fall for a kid of my age) and I landed hard on my back.  Have you ever had those experiences where the wind is knocked completely out of you?  Well that happened to me and for what felt like an eternity I couldn't breathe.  Finally I was able to catch my breathe.  That is why zip lines are not an easy thing for me to do, but I had made it that far and I was going to finish what I had started.  I took a deep breath and took that leap of faith off of the platform.  As can be attested by the fact that I am alive and writing this to you today I made it.  Therefore I can do hard things.