Anyone who follows my fb knows I don't swim
You would have seen that brilliant pic of Ben paddling me out on a Sup board at Coogee with me clinging on for grim death in shallow water but grateful to be conquering a fear
What few realise is that as a young person I conquered many demons
I learned to bare foot water ski
I went out fishing regularly in a boat on the Dampier Archipelago
I took high school kids canoeing in the ocean
I kayaked in the waters of South Stradbroke Island
No body of water restricted me for which I am most grateful
Fear is learned
I was such a worry wart as a young mother as I had read too much and was paranoid about everything from sunburn to global pandemics which is partly why I am so excited about my grandchild - I can breathe a sigh of relief and know the world isn't out to wreak havoc on the new life.
A lot of people tell me that they avoid the news but as part of the generation which feels the need to be informed I always read the paper and watch the news. Thing is there is soooooo many news outlets available that the world can become a very scary place.
The news used to be a way to discover the rest of the world now it seems to be a way of distrusting anything we don't know or undestand.
The cyber highway has really hyped up global paranoia
Overtime we hear stories and heed warnings until we convince ourselves that it is best to avoid trying something new as it will result in disaster.
Instead of adventure being a joy it has become for some a risk too harzardous to attempt.
Michael Moore makes some good points about the dangers of fear and how we can quickly come from a place motivated by fear. We fear the unknown and we respond by putting up walls, taking up arms and basically living in a siege mentality.
I am upset by the fact that swimming now scares me.
I hope to overcome it and stop seeing rips, deadly currents, sharks and pestilence everytime I look at the ocean - how much better to see it for a beautiful symbol of freedom and life.
I want to go back to that person who gave it a go
I remember how exciting and exhilarating it was to try new things and love the memories they make.
#FalseEvidenceAppearingReal