Walking the Plank

[snousle]

I'm quite fascinated with things that are "psychologically" impossible to do. Here's a good one:



This is a fallen tree at Pine Flat which is about 2' in diameter. On the part that rests on the ground, it's easy to walk on - you can even dance a little jig without any chance of falling off. But for the part that's hanging over the river, it's a different story:



Even though it's absolutely solid and no different from the section on the ground, I found it TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE to walk out on it. Aside from the fact that if you fell you'd almost certainly drown in the river - it flows VERY fast - the movement of the river itself seems to have a lot to do with it. Having things move under your feet like that is kind of dizzying and makes it hard to move at all.

I spent a little time trying to make myself walk to the end, but it was like trying to force your way through a brick wall. My body simply refused to do it. I would love to have the variety of discipline that could overcome that sort of fear.

Comments

[dorisduke.livejournal.com]

Yeah but if you had the discipline but not the balance what good would it be if you were dead in the end?

[come-to-think.livejournal.com]

I dare say the fear is built in. Some people overcome it -- circus performers, climbers, construction workers. German even has a word for the accomplishment -- Schwindelfreiheit.

The contrast you mention has always pissed me off. 35 years ago I had the idea of setting up a program to overcome it -- a beam that I would mount higher & higher -- but I never did it. It has gotten much worse with age. These days I walk gingerly on a grid on a bridge or even a subway. Sometimes actual exposure has paralyzed me with fright. Yet, strangely, I have never felt nervous on an airplane, or leaning over a wall on a parapet. It has to do with what is directly beneath me.

[broduke2000.livejournal.com]

I like my Tony wet, but not dead wet.

[ednixon.livejournal.com]

All you have to fear is fear itself.

[barbarian-rat.livejournal.com]

I couldn't walk out there either.