This week’s writing prompt with my class is about adrenaline rushes. Are you a thrill seeker or are you always on the cusp of flight or fight?
This week write about an experience that got your adrenaline flowing. It could be something that you weren’t seeking — maybe you got into a car accident. Or maybe, you signed up for bungee jumping for a milestone birthday.
Write about an experience that got your adrenaline flowing:
When I was a little kid, I liked to climb things and jump. I climbed a lot of trees. I jumped out of a lot of trees. I also jumped off walls, rolled down hills, and had my share of dramatic falls from bicycles and skateboards.
By the time I was a teenager, I had channeled that crazy trait into some fun on the diving board at the local pool. I was on the swim team and spent a great deal of time at the community pool. The older kids had gone through lifeguard certification, so we had a little more access to the pool, especially during off hours. I got into the habit of doing tricks off the lifeguard stand into the diving well, not to mention learning how to do some of the easier dives that the diving team practiced. I even gathered up the courage to jump off the three-story platform — an amazingly frightening stunt on my part, but oh so exhilarating! I admit, though, I checked that off my list of crazy things to do, and have never felt a desire to repeat it.
If it had a diving board, I was game. And then one day doing a back flip off the 3-meter board I clipped the end of the board. I just grazed my forehead a little bit — it probably looked more frightening to my friends since I had very long black hair and it looked like I hit the board full on.
I didn’t even bleed. It was just a little kiss on the corner of the board — enough for me to feel the roughness of the board — but it set into motion a million what-ifs.
Sadly, I never dove again. At least, not trying to follow any kind of tricks. Of course, I continued to dive into the water, but my days of thrill-seeking on the meter boards was over.
Nevertheless, my desire for the adrenaline rushes have continued. Roller coasters, amusement rides that give me whip lash, climbing anything with stairs — it all still calls to me.
Proof? Here’s a sweaty picture of me with my favorite guy on our honeymoon. We had just climbed the pyramid at the Tulum ruins in Mexico, and today, still enjoying the joyful rush of 30 years together:
What a joyful ending! You scared me for awhile there–I had a friend who was paralyzed from a bad dive.
Oh tragic! It scared me straight!
I too was like that. Used to climb as high as possible on a big tree and then jump down. Same with walls. I wish somebody had noticed this trait in me and set me in the right direction, say gymnastics or other sports. Not circus though.
Oh! I never thought about the circus. I could have been a trapeze artist!
When I worked as a life guard during my teen years, I remember several divers who hit their head on the diving board. Some were driven to repeat the same dive as soon as they could, some walked away.
As for adrenaline rushes, I like going up. Up on anything. It is the coming down that causes me to tremble. So as age takes away stability, I only think I am invincible. Logic tells me to keep both feet on the ground.
Welcome to the 30+ club.
you’re generous to stop at 30 🙂