Have fear....conquer fear

February 21, 2015

Last night was interesting.  Now, I want to let you know that this hotel we are in is very nice, and although there is no hot water you really don't need it because it's so hot.  I have a bathroom, a little balcony and a bed which is all I need.  I was in the bathroom last night getting ready for bed (excited about the coming visit to the slave castles!) when a little movement caught my eye.  There seemed to be something coming up the toilet.  I did what any good camper would do, I sat on the edge of my tub, interested.  A few minutes later up came a small snake....he looked at me, I looked at him, he looked at me.....I flushed.  Wow.  Something to laugh about, but my heart was pounding....looked like a baby, where was mom?  Why did he pick me?  Why Room 119?  Why tonight?  As I sat on the tub it appeared that he wanted to answer all these burning questions and he reappeared in my toilet again.  I bolted to the phone, called the front desk, and they told me "Flush it madam."  I came back in and looked at him, he was actually trying to get back down my drain (which I was relieved about) and I helped him do it.   If you love something...set it free.....he didn't come back.  My wonderful husband, forever the recorder of all occasions on his camera, had one question:  "Did you get a picture?"  No, honey, no....it slipped my mind.  I will try to do better next time.

    

Maybe I should have named him....

So, I'm not very good with snakes, kind of afraid, but those of you who know me well understand my paralyzing fear of heights.  Last year, on our free weekend, I was scared I was going to end up on the coast and have to go to to do the canopy tour at Kakum National Park.  I'm just not that brave.  Since Alfred couldn't get us to Elmina until Saturday noon (let me rephrase, Alfred was going to pick us up at 5 AM we said no), Louise and I decided we just wanted to do the slave castles and relax.  Alfred was fine with that.  Nancy and Larry met us there with their driver, Bright, and Bright had other ideas.    Off we go to the slave castles.  I never have a good sense of direction when it comes to the ocean, today was no exception, I was the only one not wondering where we were going (Bright turned away from the ocean, and we all know the slave castles aren't inland).  My blissful ignorance lasted about 10 minutes until Louise asked Alfred where we were going and he said "Kakum, you don't have time tomorrow to do this."  ALFRED!!  How could you?  How could our protector and our companion sell us out?

  

Guess I have to channel Abenna, my African name, perhaps she is better at rope bridges 40 m high cause I can tell you Debbie can't do it.  We get there and Alfred says, "I will wait for you."  No, Albert, no you won't YOU will come with us.  "Oh no, no, I will wait here."  Louise and I both go at him (she isn't totally OK with heights either)....Yes, yes, you will.  You are coming....then silence.  "I am afraid of high things."  What?  Ummmm....so are we.  So I guess you have to come with us.  Because we NEED you.   "You need me?"  That will do it every time.  Alfred is coming with us.

8 bridges
3 Lord's prayers
25+ "I'm scared" repeated rapidly for an entire bridge
15+ "I can't do this" again, rapidly in succession.
20+ "He said don't look down, so don't look down.  YOU LOOKED DOWN YOU IDIOT"

I videoed myself on the first bridge, just to hear it afterwards.  It's not pretty.  But I did it.  I beat my fear for once.  And I'm Debbie, I think I might have had a little Abenna in me today, but I'm Debbie and I can do a canopy walk!!!  POWER!!!!