It’s all about the risk

Have you ever wondered why someone would jump out of a perfectly good airplane with just a few scraps of Terylene between them and a ghastly ending? Some folks think the motive behind extreme sports is that it adds value to the person’s sense of identity, that it garners them respect. Of course, there’s also the epinephrine laden adrenaline rush to consider, I hear it’s addictive. And it’s all about the risk, the rush one gets from risking it all. So that’s what we’re talking about this week – how adventurous have we been, are we big risk takers?

I’ve gotta say when I started scrolling through the good memory bank for past adventures there were slim pickings, very slim. Turns out I’m not a big risk taker, I don’t handle the stress very well, and simply can’t picture myself doing anything extreme. Sigh. But, I did come up with an amusing memory of doing an army obstacle course with a couple of minor incidents.

I’m sure you can picture an obstacle course, yes? Rope ladders, wooden hurdles, walls, etc. – all of it designed to test your mettle. I did well with all the obstacles until the rope swing, you know, where you grab hold and swing over a sludgy pond? Hmmm. I started to slip and as there was no way I was going to put a toe in that jurassic-era ooze I grabbed the rope between my neck and shoulder and barely made it over, whew. Got me 2 lovely rope burns on my face and neck, and plenty of ribbing for those. But it was fun, and I always liked my playground adventures as a kid, and now as an adult too.

For the risk-averse, there’s a threshold we’ll go up to and peer over, but that’s it. We know our limit, and view all the minor risks we have to deal with in ordinary life as enough to handle without adding extra stress. We’ll get our jollies from watching our risk-loving peeps go about their crazy adventures, and secretly wonder how to get just a wee jolt of that kind of courage.