Time seemed to have stood still from all the way up there. The wobbling platform on which I was standing couldn’t have been more than a foot in diameter. Looking down, the blurred images of my peers were all that I could see. I should have been frightened out of my mind, but strangely I wasn’t. I had conquered the 25-foot climb up the telephone pole, and although I was wearing a harness, the feeling was nothing less than exhilarating. While the climb may not seem to be much of an accomplishment to the untrained eye, it signified so much more than is evident. Throughout my life, trying new things has never come easily to me. For awhile, I refrained from participating in any activity that required me to step outside my comfort zone, as I was always afraid of the negative outcomes that could occur. I was so afraid that I was blind to all of the positive outcomes that were also of great possibility. All of that changed last summer when I attended the Rutgers Aim High Program. …show more content…
We took some general college courses while simultaneously experiencing the college lifestyle and environment. One of the many recreational activities that we participated in was the climb up the telephone pole. I remember the moment I saw the pole, as my stomach turned just looking up at the top of what seemed to be at least 100 feet. I remember anxiously awaiting as some of the braver students eagerly attempted the climb. As my turn inevitably approached, the apprehension and fear that I was feeling did not diminish one bit, and before I knew it, the harness was on me and I was on my way