Cannonball or starfish?

I returned to this blog site and found a collection of rough draft posts.   This one, 10 years old, (Jan 17, 2013) struck a nerve.  It remains relevant and inspiring.   So…. let’s!

I find myself in a nearly constant state of transition…moving from one location, experience, adventure….to the next. On the one hand, I love it. On the other, i am often at the edge of my comfort zone. Sometimes i cringe and consider staying in one place, foregoing the trek into the unknown… But my curiosity and desire to see new places always wins out.

I find that moving on is much like stepping off the platform to speed across a zip line.

Ziplining is a rare opportunity in my life, and something I would consider a frivolous expense in most situations.  I have only taken the opportunity twice…once with my teenaged kids in Mexico…on an adventure excursion that combined ziplines with rappelling, kayaking, biking and hiking in the Yucatan. 

And, the most recent opportunity … a 10 section zipline combined with an aerial tram in the rainforest of Costa Rica.

On this occasion, we were advised on the most efficient body positions to achieve adequate speed and distance in the longest sections.  The cannonball was the most aerodynamic…cross your feet and curl your knees up.  An optional position was the starfish…and and legs splayed and head back..reveling in the free fall.  We were cautioned that, should we choose to try the starfish, we may slow our speed to the point that reaching the next platform would require some manual pulling of the cables for the last few feet to prevent us from coasting back out to the middle of the section.

   Some people could hardly be coaxed to recline at all… Rigidly upright and curled up protectively as they sped across each expanse, they barely dared to look beyond their own fists clenched around the safety clips.  Others enjoyed the ride like a racetrack…seeing how quickly they could speed from point to point… the cables screamed shrilly as they whizzed along. 

  I looked forward to launching myself off each platform, then forced myself to open my arms and legs and lean back to bask in the moment.  I would scream enthusiastically and spin to take in the scenery from all angles.   I am a starfish.

  I suspect that these preferences reveal much about how each of us approach the passages throughout our lives in general.  As we approach the next adventure, the next stage… Do we tense, race into it determinedly, or do we open ourselves to the newness and take in the moment, even if it means a bit more struggle to finish the transition?

   This experience has me looking at my approach to new experiences in a different light…. when I feel that twinge of apprehension, I consider my options… how I will approach it…cannonball or starfish? Either way…let’s go!