My Mama was a strong woman. Over the years, she endured serious hardships, triumphing over them all. She was a wonderful example of "improvise, adapt and overcome".
But Mama had one major weakness. And it was a whopper. She was absolutely, grippingly, painfully, paralyzingly terrified of heights.
Bridges, balconies, tall buildings, mountain roads - all seized her with terror.
She would drive miles out of the way to avoid a particularly treacherous bridge. She would never look out of of an upstairs window or get anywhere close to the edge of a balcony.
For years, Mama worked for the Texas House of Representatives on the third floor of the Texas Capitol building. Occasionally, she would need to deliver something from the House side of the building to the Senate side of the building. And in order to do this, she would be forced to pass through (cue the ominous dum, dum, dum, DUM music) the ROTUNDA (add reverb echo effect)...
...the granite-lined, terrazzo-floored domed room in the center of the building.
I often spent afternoons after school in the Capitol with Mama, and I remember attempting to walk with her around the Rotunda. She would step tentatively out onto the balcony and stand clinging with her back to the wall. She would then slowly inch her way around from one side to the other. It was ridiculous. But she never seemed embarrassed that people would walk back and forth around her, staring at the crazy lady hyperventilating against the wall.
I learned early on that it was rather fun to torture her. Hehehe. I would run up to the railing of the Rotunda balcony and lean way over the edge. "NOOOOO!!!!" she would shriek. But she was too scared to leave the safety of the wall to actually come and grab me.
I came by this cruel taunting of her fear honestly. Daddy tortured her all the time. He was basically fearless, and I think he thought this acrophobia thing was silly.
The worst fight I can remember my parents ever having was once when we were on vacation in Colorado. Mama and Daddy both loved driving trips around the country, and Daddy would plan out elaborate routes so we could take in every landmark and historical location. One year, we made our way to Royal Gorge in Canon City, CO.
Yes, that would be a bridge. A suspension bridge. In fact, the highest suspension bridge in the world, hanging 955 feet above the Arkansas River. A must-see tourist attraction for most people. But for Mama? Her biggest nightmare.
A major showdown ensued. Mama dug in her heels and refused to go anywhere near that bridge, and insisted that he was not going to TAKE HER BABY ONTO THAT THING. Daddy dug in his heels and said he hadn't driven all this way to MISS THE GORGE. In the end, Mama got out of the car and actually sat on the side of the road while Daddy and I drove on and toured the bridge. He stubbornly insisted on taking a picture of me at the midway point.
I don't think she ever forgave him.
But now, after all of my taunting and teasing of my mother because of her acrophobia, I now suffer from the same thing. It's not quite as bad as Mama's was, but believe me, I finally sympathize with the poor woman.
Oh Mama, I'm so sorry! I apologize for all the times I teased you for having to put your head between your knees while Daddy drove us through mountain passes. My penance is taking Jude to Cub Scout Camp up in Lake Arrowhead. I apologize for all the times I teased you for refusing to go into skyscrapers. My penance is taking Jude to the top of the Empire State Building TWICE. And I'm sorry for torturing you in the rotunda. My penance is my weekly trek up the winding staircase into the choir loft at church. Where Jude almost always runs up to the railing and leans his head way over.
Ain't karma a bitch?
___________________________________
Don't be afraid! Run on over to each of this week's spinners and give them a little therapy!
Vandy J at Testosterone Three and Me
Kendra at Life in the Slow Lane
___________________________________
Thank you to everybody who has taken my Spin Cycle Survey thus far, I can't tell you how much it helps! If you haven't had a chance, please do - it really truly only takes a minute -
As a result of what I've heard so far from the survey, I am adding one thing to the Spin Cycle starting next week. In addition to announcing the next week's Spin Subject here every Friday, I will also be sending it out in an email. This should help serve as a reminder to everybody to get their butts in gear and get their spin in.
If you would like to sign up for my Weekly Spin Subject e-mail, please let me know in a comment here, and I'll add you to the list.
Next week on The Spin Cycle...
Hair.
Yes, hair. I had actually brainstormed this idea on a list when I first began my job as your Spin Mistress, and then somebody suggested it in the survey and I thought "Let's do it!" Unfortunately, it's an anonymous survey, so I can't give credit to the person who suggested it! But you better join in!
Hair. Our crowning glory. And the source of much anxiety and humiliation. As anybody who survived the 1980s knows.
Oh dear God, how much time and effort went into my attempts to achieve Farrah-hair? And baby, I had some big hair! I was a Texas girl, after all. It was BIG.
I want PICTURES, y'all, so dig out those yearbooks. And just to make you feel better, I will share just one with you today. A teaser if you will. My friend DeeDee (the amazing Fiddledeedee!) and me circa 1990ish, back when we were slutty LA actresses before we both became respectable mommybloggers...
Now THAT is some hair! Try to outhair THAT! I dare you!
You know the drill. Write your spin. Include my button. Let me know.
And don't forget to let me know if you want on the email list!
Share your spin!
Highlight the code.
Copy to your HTML.
Et voila! Linked!
Guuuuuuurrrrllllllll, I think I may be able to top that photo of hair (in which you look fabulous). I just have to find the photo......
Something must happen to a lot of women after we have kids regarding heights. I can't stand them either. We went on lots of bridges this summer and my kids also loved to freak me out. That is one long bridge in CO!
Posted by: Michele R. | 03/02/2012 at 06:23 AM
Your poor Mama; I feel for her so. While I'm afraid of heights, it was mild(er) when I was younger, but it's gotten much, much worse as I've gotten older - in fact, it's gotten so bad that watching someone in a high place on the television gives me vertigo. But I believe my grandmother has a pic of 15-year-old me in that same spot on the bridge over the Royal Gorge - my fear of heights was overcome by my fascination of where I was.
Hair? I've got something I've been meaning to talk about, so I'm kind of looking forward to this one.
Posted by: Jan | 03/02/2012 at 07:45 AM
I really think that it's an age thing. Heights never bothered me when I was younger but now, hoo boy. It doesn't incapacitate me but I've developed a healthy respect for heights. Being a mommy might have something to do with it!
God I hope that I can get my scanner working for next week's spin because my senior year in high school I defintely maxed out what hair spray was capable of!
Posted by: Dawn | 03/02/2012 at 08:12 AM
No. Hell no. Hell to the no would you ever get me on or near that suspension bridge! Yes, I have a fear of heights as well, even being anywhere above the second floor is too far off the ground for me.
Hair. I MUST get in on this Spin..
Posted by: Sprite's Keeper | 03/02/2012 at 11:20 AM
My hubby has the same debilitating fear of heights - and an equally debilitating fear of horses. So Princess Nagger and I have lots of fun teasing him. ;)
Please oh please add me to "the list" - getting an email would make me remember to write something and participate in the Spin Cycle because I keep having Blonde Moments and forgetting to check and see what the next topic is going to be. Or I've just been lazy. :)
And oh yeah - I sure hope I can find the box of photos the hubby BURIED in the shed, because I got one head of hella hair and pictures to prove it! ;)
Posted by: Stacy Uncorked | 03/02/2012 at 12:19 PM
Put me on the list! (And the hair thing was my suggestion. I feel So Important!)
Karma IS a bitch...but only if you are. I am so sorry, I couldn't resist. But I'm not deleting it.
Posted by: Aimee | 03/02/2012 at 05:13 PM
OMG, I'm with your mama! I would NOT have wanted on that bridge under any circumstances!!!!
Posted by: SuziCate | 03/04/2012 at 07:31 AM
...and yes sign me up for the email reminder. Thanks.
Posted by: SuziCate | 03/04/2012 at 07:35 AM
An email reminder would be great.
I get vertigo when I look at the edge. I'm OK with heights, it's the edge that bothers me.
Posted by: VandyJ | 03/04/2012 at 11:07 AM
Ok, here's my hair spin http://suzicate.wordpress.com/2012/03/05/a-cut-above-and-beyond/
Posted by: SuziCate | 03/05/2012 at 04:02 AM
If we overcome fear of height, we can easily indulge to an exciting activity such as sky diving. I really love to do sky diving, I want to see the things below, though I have seen some while in a airplane but I think it is different in sky diving. The excitement and the rush is there.
Posted by: Michael Benitez | 09/29/2012 at 11:19 PM