What does Babe Ruth and bungee jumping have in common …
Originally published between 2015 and 2018, this post has been updated but preserves its original publish date as best as possible as content is migrated from the archives of The Flavored Word.
Define scary. Can you? You can, I think, but one person’s scary is not always someone else’s scary hence, your definition is purely subjective.
Take bungee jumping—do you think that’s scary? Does it depend? Does the thought of making yourself jump from a perfectly good bridge thrill the pants off you yet the entire notion of jumping from the top of a building (yes, yes, you are still tethered) sound insane? Or do both scenarios sound like something that should be saved for the Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
What about public speaking—do you still have nightmares about the speech you had to give in seventh grade? Do you still remember what you were wearing? How much you sweated? The name of the kids in the front row who you knew were mocking every word you said?
When I was in the fifth grade I gave a speech about Babe Ruth. I don’t know why I chose the baseball legend, because for starters, I’d never been a fan of the sport and other than the famed New York Yankees of yesteryear … the ones known by last name alone (Gehrig, Mantle, Cobb, Berra, DiMaggio, and of course, Ruth), I couldn’t have listed any of the current players. Really. Not a one. Still, I gave the speech … I wore red corduroys and a white shirt, and Frank (last name forgotten) sat in the front row, staring at me the entire time.
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” — Babe Ruth
Thing is, for as terrifying as that first speech was, I was never scared to speak in public again. In fact, it’s something that I’ve relished over the years. Delivering perfectly thought-out words with all their inflection and meaning, and taking an audience—be it a few friends, family, or an entire crowd of strangers—down the path you wish them to go, is, for me anyway, far more exhilarating than bungee jumping. Which is why if you asked me to define scary, it would indeed be just that … of course I also find riding in elevators scary.
When you do something scary or stressful—bungee jumping, public speaking, etc.—do you prefer to be surrounded by friends or by strangers? Why?
Cover image, screenshot of a U.S. postage stamp.
DISCLAIMER: I’m a writer and an editor. And I try my best to make sure every post is articulate and free from errors. However, being that I edit my own work—and it’s next to impossible to properly edit your own work—I admit, occasionally there may be an error or two I miss. But doing so doesn’t make me an idiot so don’t be mean. Just smile, pat yourself on the back for finding an error and be glad you’re not the only one who makes mistakes sometimes … xoxox
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