"What Do You Say to Taking Chances?" or "Have You Jumped Off a Cliff Today?" or "Such Great Heights"

The soles of my feet are being warmed by the rough and pointed edge of the cliff.  The midday sun seems to hurl its rays upon me and I feel the weight of their heat.  Before me lies a beautiful, slivery-blue horizon, dotted with a few sailboats and kayaks carrying contented tourists to adventures unknown.  Below me I see the waves crashing against the large, jagged, algae-covered boulders on which I am attempting not to land.  I move my feet backward and forward, simply changing which foot is in front of me.  I am most assuredly stalling for I know what I am about to do and it terrifies me.  I steal a glance down to my right to the large rock where a group of people with whom I have been spending the day with stand almost at attention, awaiting my decision.  I continue to stall by looking in every direction including down, which is the one direction I should have skipped.  I lift my eyes upward and stare at that shining horizon with its inviting haze and tell myself it's now or never.  I close my eyes, summon any available strength in my legs, and leap from the rock.  The Adriatic Sea envelops me in a chilly hug as if I've just met a dear friend in the frozen food section of my local supermarket.  The adrenaline pumping through my entire body worries me as its intensity feels electric.  The sea is really the last place one should be when feeling electric, unless you are an eel...obviously.  I swim out a little farther from the point where my relationship with my new friend the sea began and I begin to tread water, which is an exercise that I had not done in quite some time.  I look back at the rock where friends, old and new, stand smiling, thus validating the fact that I had just taken a step in overcoming one of my greatest fears.  I continue to alternate between bobbing and floating in my new salty surroundings for what feels like an hour yet no more than two minutes at the same time.  As my legs grow weary from staying afloat, I head back to the same algae-covered rocks that had only moments before filled me with dread and lift myself onto the welcome warmth of the rock.  The rest of the day is spent walking the streets of Dubrovnik, Croatia, laughing at the silliest of jokes, and tasting some delicious local produce.

I may not have completely conquered my fear of heights, but I took step, nay leap toward it.

May laughter surround you, sunshine warm you, and blessings sustain you until we meet again.

-Joey