I shakily clutched the thin strap of leather that held me thousands of feet above the huge cascading waterfalls. For a moment, I sat in the zip-line harness, frozen in fear, as I reflected on why I had taken the risk to go on the zip line hovering above the most magnificent, yet fearful waterfall in Virginia. Any malfunction on the harness could lead me to plummet to my death thousands of feet below. I still went on the zip line and I still had the experience. The experience is what had counted. Everyone has a bucketful of experiences that make them different them from others. I believe that experiences make a person unique. Every single change that the person goes through provides a way to be different and a way to define themselves by their own actions.
Heart racing, palms sweaty, I looked down from where I was seated in the brown, leather harness. Down below me there was a pit of slick, wet mountains of rocks and the sound of rushing water repeated in my ears. I reflected on why I had even chosen to go on the zip line in the first place. Daring (adj.): willing to do dangerous or difficult things, showing a lack of fear (Merriam Webster). From this definition, I realize that everyone is different but it is to them whether or not they want to change, try new things and live life in a better, more experienced way. Through my life-threatening experience, I realized that one of my key characteristics was my ability and my need to try new things and be daring. Daring enough to be the only person in my family to hang over a waterfall and voluminous, edged rocks. Through going on the zip line, I was able to realize exactly who I was. I was able to understand who I was and what my main characteristic was.
Just minutes ago, I had been standing on solid, hard ground with my family, watching intently as other zip liners went across the line. At first, it seemed like an amazing idea. As time went on and I got situated into the harness belt, my legs started to wobble, and my stomach started to do somersaults. It felt as though there were birds in my stomach, flitting around and pecking. “You can do it ______!” I thought reassuringly in my head. My head was in a dilemma deciding whether to be scared or to be enjoying the experience. Trying new things are not always easy. There is always a negative side to every single experience but it only depends on what the perspective chosen by the individual. If people always thought of trying new things as negatives, we would not have gotten anywhere. We would never have had any electronics, technology, or advancements. Trying new things has risks, but most new experiences lead to a well-rounded person and better results.
I paused in the middle of the zip line; and it felt as though time had frozen and my fear relinquished at my newfound confidence. My eyes widened as I glanced at my surroundings. The comely sunset to my left shone rays of sunlight onto the water that resulted in large amazing rainbows. Far off to my right, I saw the most magnificent sight; massive green mountains loomed over the trees. Below me, immense waterfalls crashed and roared in the most beautiful of ways. At that moment, I finally appreciated my daring characteristic and the risk of going on the life threatening zip line. The memory of my change in perception about going on the high zip line would always reside in me as I go through life. Memories always stay with us from the moment we are born to the moment we die, our memories give us hope, confidence and sometimes even sorrow.
Trying new things allows us to fully understand and realize exactly who we are when put to the test. Trying new things always has positives but it always depends on perception. If I had thought of going on the zip line, and all I thought of on the ride was whether or not I would fall, I would not have ever seen the beauty in the sunsets, mountains, or the waterfalls which, at one point, seemed scary to me. New experiences almost always lead to good results and a well-rounded person. As I glanced back at the sunset fading over the horizon, I continued onwards, still thinking of the newly formed memory in my head.