Oh yuva yuva !

Eternal youth and invincibility were the mantra of my teen years. Reality intruded but briefly and usually struck pretty hard. But the lessons learned were soon forgotten, else what excuse did we have for getting into situations created by oneself.

I suffer from acrophobia, put in layman's terms simply means fear of heights. Lofty name for a lying low problem one thinks. Knowledge being power one would suppose it would keep the persons feet on Terra firma, but youth is its own misdirection. That's how I found myself a few feet from the ground hanging on for dear life to a rock face. If my feet hadn't been required to maintain my precarious position I would have been tempted to give myself a swift kick to knock some sense into a dense brain. Finger nails that I grew, nurtured and kept painted was disposed of without much ado, after all the visual of a body cast was enough to make manicure a last priority. So there I was halfway up a rock biting my nails. Bad manners, bad situation and a really bad decision all rolled in one. From down below comes the guiding voice asking me to look to the left for a pinch hold, believe me the name was appropriate, a pinch is a minor discomfort compared to having to put ones well being into a minuscule nick on the rock face. The cheery voice down below continued to pass on gems of knowledge from the safety of a level floor. If life hadn't been hanging from a thread it would have been my greatest pleasure to lob a rock in the general direction and let gravity do its part. Pictures of mountain goats and reincarnations as one danced about my head. Inch by inch I scrambled, crawled and jimmied myself against the forces of nature. A hand appeared near my eyes, had I slipped and reached paradise? or should I kiss it in gratitude? nah! no such luck , It was a hand attached to the body of a former friend, who in the present situation almost couldn't pull me up to the top, being impeded as he was doubled over with laughter at my expense, now I am sure you understand the allusion to his being a former friend. At last I had reached the top.... well whatever of it there was.... To put it in polite terms a one feet by one feet perch where even dirt refuses to stick around was my destination. And lo behold what do I see but a meandering path leading right to where I began this arduous climb.

One would think that experience would have taught me a lesson. The heated blood of youth found me at the top of a five storey building, to be precise on the edge of the water tank perched atop the building. As I stood there with sweating palms, I watched a good friend disappear over the edge leaving a trail of two taunt ropes in his wake. Up drifted a few choice epithets greatly enhancing my vocabulary of colourful words. Cautiously peered over the edge to be confronted by the soles of a pair of shoes. There hung my friend upside down tethered by a couple of ropes five storeys from the ground. Unbidden laughter erupted all around. It was an indeed a sight to see the oh! so proper gentleman in such a pose. As the said gent safely rappelled on down second thoughts raced around. The stairs seemed so tempting. Ohhh ! what a tough choice I faced ... on one side lay the possibility of a few broken bones and a possible heart attack, while on the other hand lay a safe descent one step at a time where the only thing that killed me would be boredom ! While I was wool gathering my friends (now I use the word real loosely) have been busy. I now found myself attached to the ropes with carabines walking backward (as if facing the edge would make it better... haaa! ) feeling for the edge and seeing the ground abruptly fall out behind you, a walk on the wild side with the descent finished that episode. Did I emerge wiser? ohhh no! that would be too easy, cause I went back to the same place and through the same thought churning process many more times. Even put up a show of my prowess for my parents and some NCC local bigwigs.

Did this cure me of my phobia? no such luck . This I realised standing atop the Eiffel tower in Paris and affirmed this conviction later on the Leaning tower of Pisa. The only change was I now could add acidity, hallucinations of people hanging upside down and absolute fear of ropes especially when I am on anything higher than a footstool, to my list of symptoms! That could be the reason why I am writing this sitting on the ground !

Cheers!