For those of you with a sick sense of wonder here is the bridge epic adventure. This is a true story.
Exhibit A: The Yaquina Bay bridge. aka Bridge of Death
Date: New Years Day 2008
Time: High Traffic about Sunset
Victim: JP
Victim: JP
We were visiting my folks at our condo last New Years. This is the side of the bridge that we get to see from our balcony. Isn't it grand and architecturally amazing? My parents wanted pictures for the condo rental web site from the bridge view perspective. This is where it gets interesting folks. Shawn decides that " we" should go give it a whirl. Why not I say!
I did some quick self talk. " I 'm going to face my fears head on, it will no longer control my life"
" I will conquer my fears I will be victorious, I will reign supreme " So I donned my jacket, hat and camera and set out. We started at the South End, ( the longest span) and walked North.
I was doing fine, We got to the first tall spire next to the big Arch , then it happened. I looked into the dark grey deathly abyss of Yaquina bay. Not over the side that's just crazy, but DOWN. The gaps the deck, through what looked like more than enough room for me to fall to my watery grave. 
Shawn says smile? I say get a lawyer or a parachute Mister... Notice that hat? Yep I was wearing wrong here too. BBFF can laugh manically now.
I completely freaked and grabbed the girder with both hands and started to melt down. Crying and saying " I can't go any farther Honey, I can't move from this spot, I'm Done" My heart had now stopped beating and was in my stomach. Notice I had only gotten a few feet from the spire?
See the gaps down by my feet? Yes those... My out of body experience was at it's apex in this shot.So Shawn leaves me there clinging for my life with traffic whizzing by and proceeds to venture out to the highest point and snap a few more photos I mean that's why we came right? WHAT? I need a tranq dart in my a$$ and carried off this bridge ASAP. But I need to hold on while you get the Zoom right? I plotted his divorce the whole way home while I was trying to reconnect my brain and legs.
I woke up about 5 years ago with this fear, and it has steadily gotten worse.
This is not something I have had all my life, but it has definitly taken over my life as I live in a City that is nothing BUT bridges. Driving for me is a nightmare if I have to go anywhere West or North. Wasnt this fun? I have more....
14 comments:
I definitely have anxiety about a lot of things, but gladly, not bridges. Glad you made it that far!
No deffinatly not funny, not easy to get through, I have the same kind of feeling(not quite as strong) whene I have to ride in a small car. Hang in there, is it just bridges or are you afraid of heights too?
Just bridges mostly.If I am up high but on Terra Firma it doesnt seem to be nearly as bad. I went up in the Space Needle and felt perfectly fine, Hoover Dam was a bit unnerving !!
2009 is my year to fight the fear!
Okay I can't help but do this...
OMG, You've been wearing your Ratatouille chef hat that way for over a year?? And Shawn never said anything..You've got to be kidding me! HAHAHA...Oh well at least you have me know to help you out when needed...and this also includes helping with the fear of Bridges! 2009 is our year!
Yes a YEAR! I know ! Can you believe he never said a word about my Chef Hat? Some nerve.....
I forgot to addy...You look like a different person these days all skinny and Shiat. Someday I'll give up these Kettle chips for soy crips..someday...
OHH we have a place in New Port too.
I dont get the hat thing??
Bridges scare me to bits. We have two long ones to navigate and once, many years ago, a small skidding car was blown or propelled off one of them (the one called "the High Bridge!!) in extremely high wind. That is all I need to know, ever. I like your hat but there must be some cryptic thing about it.
My hat looks like a chef hat, it is supposed to be rolled down and sit closer to my head.
BBFF called it my AMISH/CHEF hat. I had no idea I looked so ridiculous until she put it on herself and showed me. OMG. I was mortified.
I'm right there with ya. I have a fear of driving over bridges. It freaks me out. After a few years of driving over them to get back and forth to work, the fear subsided some.
Wel I don't blame you on that particular bridge. It's quite a span, and with the traffic and those gaps, many folks might have second thoughts.
Do even short span bridges give you the willies, too?
I'm fearful of crowds. Get panicky
just thinking about leaving the house to forge into crowds. Festivals...gah! Black Friday shopping? No way Jose!
I'm also afraid of riding a bucking bronco, but I think that would be a justified fear...(lol!)
~Lisa
New Mexico
And I'm just not seeing how you're hat is on wrong. Educate me, please?
Oh you poor thing! I can relate! I am probably not as bad as you, but heights freak me out. They didn't use to, but as I have gotten older my fears have gotten worse. You should get points for at least trying!
Worst bridge in my experience, the Hood River toll bridge of death. With horse trailer, you almost scrape your mirror on the edge and almost scrape whatever car passes the opposite way. It's completely terrifying, and was always necessary cuz the twisty windy road alternative was almost as awful, but much much longer. One time I drove to the Dalles to avoid the Hood river bridge. That was a long detour.
Only once have I had a panic attack on the Astoria bridge - and that one will give it to you when it goes up so high. It's incredible to really THINK about how your car is a mile up in the air at the end. I can do it now, (I have to, yearly) and appreciate it. There's no holding your breath on the Astoria bridge!
I knew someone who was afraid to drive on Seattle's floating bridges, and she had to drive all the way around, every time. Talk about inconvenient. I felt really bad for her.
Oregon and her bridges. What fun!
~lytha in Germany
Absolutely LOVING your blog! I own 3 horses myself and also had a serious injury (my 17.2 hh gelding icked me and shattered my jaw. Im still missing teeth, and it took me a long time to get used to handling horses again. Still alot more caustious though, and fear does still creep in. So I know how you feel. :)
As for the bridge, you have my sympathy there- I dont handle heights well at all!!
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