wHaT iS yOuR fEaR

fEar...

A four letter word that is more scary or merciless than any four lettered vulgarity.

Know what's my fear? I have lots and am sure you too.

Fear of heights
Yup, my knees go jelly and head wozzy when I'm high up. I came face to face with my fear of heights in 2 separate incidents a couple of years ago and am proud to proclaim that I overcame them to the best of my ability that I was shocked too.

Due to my inablity to swim at age 13, I was sent off to complusory swimming lessons by my secondary school (all pupils aged 13 have to attain at least the very basic beginner's level for swimming). I was extremely uncomfortable with the arrangements as prancing about in my swimsuit in a public pool isn't exactly the most enjoyable way to spend my after school hours (not to mention the fact I was more tubby at that time too).

So off to swimming class it was at Toa Payoh Swimming complex and luckily some of my fellow classmates were slated for the class too and they made the whole process a little much better :p

The lessons were all fine till one sweet day, my stern swimming coach decided to let EVERY student jump off the swimming board into a 4 metre deep pool. Hello, the deepest pool I had ever been at that time was a 1.6m pool and I am 1.59m tall.

My heart went cold and my knees turned into jelly. There was no escape to this. Before I could scream 'NoOoOoOoOooO", it was my turn. I stood on the board and looked into extremely deep and blue pool. Wow, I know how people who jump off blocks feel now. Closed to tears, I looked at my coach, my heart was silently pleading with him to let me off. Fat chance.

I think I stood at the swimming board for close to 10 minutes when my coach decided to give me a push into the realm of swimming depths. God, I thought I was going to die (keep in mind, I have not pass my swimming test yet and the only swimming stroke I knew was wading in the water).

I splashed into the water (down 4 metres) and prayed hard. The sunlight above seems sooooo far. And then it happened.

To my surprise, I started floating straight up to the top within seconds. I need not even move my hands or legs much! I was stunned. When my head reached the top, I managed to swim (at least make it look like swimming) and got out of the pool. And frankly, after my survival I got hooked! The jump into the 4 metre pool was fun and exhilarating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would have never jumped if my coach did not give me the first push. Similarily in life, we all sometimes need a little push from others to get started on things or to reeve up our engines for better things to come in the future.

Fear of the unknown (out of your comfort zone)
I was sent for complusory OBS (Outward Bound School) when I was in Sec 3. Together with my class and some other sec 3 classes, we had to camp at pulau ubin for 5 days and 4 nights.

I was homesick on the first few days coupled with an unpleasant kayaking experience on the second day (I was like getting seasick in the 7 hour kayaking, muddy and dirty due to a low tide encounter and my partner and I were far far behind the other kayaks in a race) made me close to the tears. The distant sight of Singapore draped in cosy bright lights did not help.

Thank god, our kayaking skills (and luck) improved the next day and we were ahead of many other boats. No more sea sickness too! Kayaking out into the big sea was harrowing experience as the sea is deep beyond any swimming pool but I was amazed by my bravery to go kayaking (also forced since EVERYONE had to kayak).

My camp mates and I also had to sleep in stuffy tents with our thin sweaters etc as pillows and one particular night in duno what island, there were big stray mongrel dogs running around our tents. We thought they would crash our tents and bite us. Thankfully, the night passed on peacefully.

Due to lack of fresh water while trekking around the islands, we had to strap on heaving haversacks and big bottles of water. I think each and everyone of us had to endure a 2 kg weight upon us as we moved along. Meals were rationed and I never knew instant noodles tasted soooo good.

The flying fox was another surprise to me. Being hung up in the air higher than 4 metres and yet I was craving for a higher height? I knew my fear of heights had somewhat diminshed. The swoosh and free feeling of the wind against my face was undescribable. I hope to get on it again!

The camp came to an end soon and we were given a certificate. I am darn proud of it. Imagine all the stuff I never knew I could endure or overcome were present in OBS and I walked out of it aliving and kicking (except I got a bad sun burn from the 7 hours kayaking such that my bro could not recognise me).

Yes, you Can face up to your fears and kick its ass!





Face your fear or this? ------->