HOORAY! I DID IT. I finally faced my fears and went out and paddle boarded on Tempe Town Lake. It was so much fun. All I did was laugh and shake. Yes, shake! My legs were like rubber because I was so scared. I don’t know what the heck I was afraid of, but I was terrified. All I could do was fall in the water and get back on the board! There were no six foots waves that were going to tumble me under the sea; there were no motor boats speeding by that were going to chop me in half (where do I come up with this stuff?), and being a very good swimmer, I didn’t think it was likely I would drown. Additionally, I was being photographed by the talented #phyllislane, and was never more than a hundred yards from the “marina” area, so all hands were on deck should I succumb to one of my irrational fears.
I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that there’s more to this story than I’m letting on. The past 3 years have been challenging for me regarding some health issues. I was sick for a long time before discovering #drjeoffdrobot at the American Center for Biological Medicine, #ACBM. If not for #drjeoffdrobot, I’m not sure where I would be today. Once I began to regain my strength, I found #astutefitness and #darrylmaddern who understood my need to slowly rebuild my strength and muscles. It has been a slow process but I’m becoming stronger and stronger. I look better than I have in years, but more importantly, I feel better. I’m back at the gym three days a week and walking every day, sometimes twice a day.
Ideally, my blog will help to empower those of us facing challenging situations, good or bad. I do NOT have all the answers and would never pretend that I do. I will share with you my experiences and how they have helped me to move forward. As a sufferer of general anxiety, I think it’s best when we share our experiences. It helps to know “we’re not alone”. I, for one, am not ready to be told I cannot do this or that because of my age, or my strength, or my whatever. Nope. I’m pushing on with my adventures just like I did in my 20’s.
Paddle boarding was on my bucket list. I was fearful that I didn’t have the strength to stay upright. It turns out I did have the strength. It’s not even hard. It’s more about balance and manipulating the oars to go in the right direction, and the more you fall in the water, the more fun it is. I cannot wait to get back out there and just have fun with no one watching. Well, these days there’s always someone watching, and I hope I make them laugh. A good, deep, belly-laugh.