Tuesday, October 26, 2010

All Good Things...

For the past year I've been playing along with a meme every Wednesday called The Random Dozen. It's hosted by Lid over at 2nd Cup of Coffee and she is ready to wind it down with perhaps a Random now and then but not weekly. I was fairly new to blogging when I stumbled on the RD and I have really enjoyed getting to know lots of bloggers thru these sometimes silly, sometimes serious questions. Lid has decided to send us off on a serious note with just two questions-

1. What scares you the most?

A. Physically
B. Emotionally

How do you cope?

Hmmm, what scares me the most? You mean besides coming up with something to blog about on Wednesdays now that the RD is retired?

Its hard to separate the two types because fear of the physical hits me on an emotional level. I guess I'd say that I truly dislike small, tight, confined spaces and just the thought of being stuck in one makes me breathe hard. I am not a fan of small caves, extremely narrow tunnels, and tightly packed cable cars hanging high atop a valley.

These are typically things you can avoid unless you are part of my adventurous and fun loving family and you live abroad and spend weekends prowling around old cathedrals and estates that are filled with narrow tunnels and stairwells and you spend holidays in the mountains riding in tightly packed cable cars.

How do I cope? I pray because that's how I roll in life. I like to think I have come a long way in the process of plowing headlong into my fears with my family acting as cheerleaders. They encourage me to let go and live life and in doing so I have seen things, learned things, and loved things that I would not have experienced if I'd let fear overwhelm me.

Many lessons were learned in our years spent overseas and I think working thru some of my fears was one of them. Like most parents my biggest emotional fear is something happening to one of my children. But that is something that we have to let go of too. I'm not saying we don't take appropriate measures to keep our children safe but there is much in this world that is not within our realm of control. The older your children get the more you recognize the truth of that statement. And that brings me back to prayer. Which is a good place to be.

2. Robert Frost wrote-

Nature's first green is gold
her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
And nothing gold can stay

What comes to mind when you read the phrase, "Nothing gold can stay?"

Wow that's depressing.
Isn't it funny how words invoke emotion?
Even without analyzing this just reading it makes me feel gloomy.

I guess the theme I hear is that change is inevitable.

I mean even the weekly Random Dozen isn't permanent.
Oh I know he wasn't referring to an internet meme but it's such a downer I feel the need to inject some light here. How about a few lovely pictures taken while riding up the side of Mt. Blanc in a too tightly packed cable car?


Follow the line down and out.
Do you see the speck that is a cable car?


Some crazies, obviously without ANY fear...


In spite of a few ice crystals the mechanics worked and we did not plunge to the bottom of an ancient glacier in our too tightly packed cable car.


We're free!


and we're above the clouds...


Some of us find it thrilling...


and some of us say, "Talk to the hand!"


You know, I might have missed it.


Facing your fear can be a beautiful thing.

16 comments:

  1. I probably wouldn't have done that - LOL - but I know I am missing out on things. That would have scared me. :<( beautiful though.

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  2. Awwww, what a beautiful way to end the Random Dozen. I love this post. I haven't written my post yet--better go and get busy! P.S. The video of the "fridge" falling apart on yesterday's post was hiliarious :)

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  3. Awesome view! I so would do that. Surprised? lol Thanks for sharing. Blessings, SusanD

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  4. Wonderful photos! I'm so impressed that you faced your fears and took them!

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  5. You must've hopped over to the blog before I worked the video link glich out!(I'm still learning) I've got it on now :) Thanks!

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  6. Beautiful pictures! I may have tried it?? I don't know. Becoming a parent has made me think twice.

    When visiting your blog, I am reminded that my girls will grow up and become independent one day. It's bitter-sweet. All. good. things... sigh.

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  7. Gorgeous pictures but too high. If just popped out at the top and couldn't see myself getting there, it might work.
    Maybe you should take over the RD for Linda??? just a thought...

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  8. What beautiful pictures! Sure going to miss the RD. I am like you ran across it and got hooked, and am so glad I did. Met some wonderful bloggy friends! Some of the Best!
    until next time... nel

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  9. Even though I have a gut-wrenching fear of edges, I can do cable cars - probably because I'm enclosed. Edges only get me if they're open with no protection. How great that you've been able to overcome your fear enough to take that trip.

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  10. Beautiful pictures! Bummer about the RD. I am sure you can come up with something to talk about though :)
    I have faith in you!

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  11. You have the most amazing pictures! I just couldn't think last night (or this morning). I hate that the Random is gone!

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  12. My friend posts questions each week on her blog and she got them in a set from Pottery Barn of all places. They are called "Questions
    To Start Great Conversations" and come in sets by decades. Hers are questions about the '60s. I'm going to buy ones pertaining to the '70s and they have several others. You have to ask for them and they fetch them from the back of the store.
    Maybe you can start a new trend if you find those!

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  13. Ooooh, you're a brave one to ride in that cable car. I'm not sure that I would ... not because of being confined ... because of the height! ;-) Nevertheless, the view WAS quite gorgeous!

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  14. Wow. Beautiful. I'd have to face both my fear of heights and claustrophobia to see that...would I? Could I? I may never know, but I enjoyed your pictures very much.
    Nice counter to the pensive questions!

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