When once is enough

Sometimes doing things only once is a good idea.

This is particularly true for me when it involves heights.  The top rung in an eight-foot ladder is enough for me. Flying into Kodiak, Alaska was a prime example of the kind of coward I’ve become. 

We were in an old plane, I should say a primitive plane, which held about 20 passengers — and our suitcases were loaded inside the passenger compartment.

We were making our approach to the runway with 70 mph winds pushing the plane to the side. The pilot would rev the engines to bring us back in line with the runway, only to be blown off course again. I was watching this and feeling this and getting more nervous by the minute. The pilot finally matched things up and we touched down.   

Another flight incident occurred on every flight made into Hong Kong.

Flights come right over the rooftops of a number of eight-story apartment complexes. The joke was that if the pilot dropped his wheels too soon they might tear up clotheslines strung between the apartments. As the planes cleared the buildings, it dropped rapidly to the runway. In order to provide enough distance on the runway it was extended out into the sea. Sitting at the window all I could see was water. We were that far on the runway. It is very scary.

While in Boise, I agreed to go on a small plane as a spotter. We were looking for a missing plane that had gone down with several Boise area fighters aboard.

Our plane was given a grid back in Idaho’s primitive area. 

We criss-crossed our grid for quite a while, and the pilot said he was going to set down in an abandoned emergency strip that showed on the map, because he had to go.

We found the strip, which had gone back to the wild, and the pilot flew the length of the runway a couple of times.  Seeing no obvious hazards, he lined up and we set down for a bumpy ride.

Because of these kinds of things, I have developed a fear of flying. I would take a small plane over a commercial jet every time. I have flown a number of times, over long distances and over water. But I didn’t enjoy it.

Towers that provide platforms to see the wonders of cities are also a bit of a taboo.

There’s a tower in Tokyo that reaches over 1,000 feet. You can see forever from the top, but don’t get too close to the railing.

Another such tower in Toronto, this one over 1,800 feet, is scary enough to give you nosebleed.

That makes the Space Needle, at just over 600 feet, look pretty puny. Nevertheless, it is still too high.

One time we had dinner there. It was a terrible meal and I wrote to them to tell them. I got a letter back telling me to show the letter for a free meal. I never went back. One time, shame on them, a second time, shame on me.

I had a similar meal problem in Kodiak at a fast food place.  I got deathly sick during the night and decided to tell them the next day. They offered me a free meal if I would come down. Once is enough.

While driving to the east coast, we stayed over at Niagara Falls, a beautiful sight.

The next day we decided to take a tour that would take us closer to the falls.

They gave us rain gear, and we walked this tunnel until we got to a place where we got the spray from the falls. The barrier looked pretty flimsy, so I wrote this off my list.

I am not against doing things, I just don’t like my well being challenged.

And the list of once is enough goes on.

While growing up in Palouse we spent time by the park where a railroad trestle was located. On either side of the trestle, there was a structure that was enclosed where the pigeons used to build their nests atop it. The trestle was constructed by big railroad beams, and a lot of the kids would climb up to get to the enclosed structures on top of it. A climb maybe of 15 feet to the top of the trestle, and probably another 15 feet to the pigeon nest.

I tried the trestle a few times but would always make the mistake of looking down. I finally made it up, my one-time experience. Then I kept trying to get to the nests, and this was even more difficult. After many tries and a few dares I made it to the top and the nest area. Once was enough.

Shortly after moving here we made it to the top of Steamboat Rock. We made our way to the edge and crawled carefully until we could look down on the nest.

I never went back.

I can’t stand heights over 6 or 8 feet.

When I do make it to higher heights, I don’t usually go back. Once is enough.