My grandparents own an aquamarine log cabin with a beachy interior on a lake in Northern North Dakota. The lake’s water is as green as a Granny Smith apple before air is called to its side and turns it a displeasing amber. However, the lake and the cabin are not what is important in the story.
Other than the cabin, they own a boat as old as time with a thin red trim and seats that are cracked and worn but still comfortable. Behind the boat, an electric blue inflatable sits patiently but waits eagerly for three just as eager children to hop on and be jerked, looped, and flipped for what feels like forever but is never long enough. This raft was once a battlefield of hurt and terror for me, but I won the fight and walked away from it with not just this story, but also new insight on fear and how we cannot let it control our lives.
The day was warm but cool, sunny but cloudy, an average summer day. My uncle leaped into the boat and put it into gear. I was already sore from yesterday’s pumping and jumping on the tube, but what was worse than the ache was the feeling of being left out. So, I slapped on a smile and stepped on. The wind had made the Granny Smith apple waters restless and mad. As we flew across the lake, I let out tiny screams over each liquidly hill. The unease started to grow and it shrieked louder and louder in my brain.
To subdue it, I closed my eyes as tight as the roots of a massive tree, which, looking back, was a VERY big mistake. The next thing I knew (or didn't know), I was soaring through the partly cloudy sky with nothing but an aching feeling that something wasn’t quite right.
Once we landed back on the water, tremendous pain sprinted up my back stopping in my head. I leaned to the side of the float, suddenly nauseous. Thankfully I did not get sick, but was nonetheless in pain, so I decided to return to the boat instead of the raft.
As I sat there, I realized that it had almost been the worst scenario! Even though my back hurt a bit, nothing awful had happened. Why was I letting fear spread like a disease through my mind? Why are we all letting fear control our every move? From that day on I have tried to live in trust and fearlessness. Take the next step, or leap, conquer your problems, and NEVER let fear be your guide!