Last night I found myself watching Fear on MTV and it got me thinking about purposely doing scary things. I don't really know how I would fare on that show. My sensitivity to the tone of my environment, plus an active imagination might get the better for me. It might do me good, though.
I think there are two kinds of scary things. The first is, "This scares me, so I shouldn't do it." Changing a lightbulb with wet hands would fall into this category. The second is, "This scares me, so I had better do it." Climbing the fire tower would fall into this category.
When I am in northern Wisconsin during the summertime, I like to to go the Lakewood Fire Lookout Tower in the Nicolet National Forest, provided the weather is right. The tower is fairly standard as fire lookout towers go; about 100 feet tall and constructed of thin steel beams. On a good day you can see over the treetops for miles around, and the view is quite spectacular. Unfortunately, in order to see that view you must climb a steep, narrow stairway that feels quite rickety, up and up and up. The wind blows past unimpeded, causing ominous rattling and shaking. The closer to the top you climb, the more it feels like the whole thing is going to come apart. The tiny room at the top gives little comfort to those inclined towards vertigo. The trip back to earth is in some ways harder, as the stairs are steep almost to the point of ladder-like. Walking down them gives the sensation that one false step will send you pitching forward off the tower. Whenever I go to the tower, my stomach drops out for the duration of my stay. Never-the-less, I make myself climb, weak-kneed or not. I will conquer my fear, rather than the other way around.
There are more things that scare me. Maybe I should do some of them.
