My husband and I were born in the same year, thirteen days apart. We share the same star sign but are two very different people. When we have birthdays we like to celebrate them in different ways. My husband is happy to share his age whilst I ignore it, just another day!
So, when we reached a significant birthday, dreaded for years but a fact that needed to be faced head on, we had a number of options to celebrate, or, in my case, commiserate. Having close family in England, the US and Australia, we decided to acknowledge the momentous day in each country.
I must stress, Iām not a coward! I suffer from vertigo, a known phobia. Many years ago I was involved in a near fatal car accident and fractured my skull. I was left deaf in my right ear. Surgery to try and restore hearing failed but my ear is very sensitive so try never to get it wet. Due to an injury climbing Ben Nevis I have a knee that complains bitterly when going down steep declines. So, when choosing birthday celebrations, especially one so significant that I have to acknowledge my age, I had hoped that my phobia and physical āissuesā would be taken into account.
Our first celebration was with my American family in New York. Bearing in mind that it was my husbandās birthday as well it was never going to be all about me. Totally understood and accepted! Five out of six in our group decided to go to āThe Edgeā the highest sky deck in the western world. This glass deck is suspended in mid air giving the feeling of floating in the sky with 360 degree views, looking down 100 stories. Really? People want to do that? Why?
I had a choice. I could stand on the solid concrete floor alongside the glass ledge or I could banish my phobia and stand on the ledge. I watched the rest of my party nonchalantly wander over to the glass ledge, looking around, up and down, marvelling at the sights. My granddaughter had sat down on the ledge, all smiles, calling for me to join her.
I tentatively shuffled over to the ledge and glanced down. I immediately looked up, the sky, a glorious blue and felt the sun beating down on me. Before I could change my mind I stepped on the glass ledge and sat down next to my granddaughter. Then, bizarrely, we both decided to lie down! In for a penny, in for a pound! But I did it! And I have a photograph as proof! Vertigo phobia challenged! Tick! But I never looked down!
A few months later we were off to Australia. I wanted to sail around the Great Barrier Reef sipping champagne and watching dolphins leaping gaily around the boat, relaxing and enjoying the warmth and sunshine. My family had other ideas. They wanted to go snorkelling before relaxing on the deck nursing glasses of champagne! Now, I have a huge respect for the sea! I love to listen to its waves crashing down onto the shore. Standing on terra firma I can marvel at its magnificence! But I donāt want to dive into it, just me and a snorkel, pitted against its brute force with sharks, rays and other predatory sea creatures lying in wait therein! Why would I want to do that? Especially on a birthday where I have finally acknowledged my age and am no longer a āspring chickenā, but, hopefully, still have a few good years left on earth!
Once more, I found myself totally out of my comfort zone, ear plugs firmly inserted into sensitive ears, wetsuit on, goggles and snorkel firmly attached. I was then unceremoniously dumped into the middle of the Coral Sea, somewhere within its 2,300 kilometre coastline, a lone lady of a certain age, more than likely never to be seen again! But, before the grim reaper, or in this case, a man eating shark, abruptly ended my days on earth, I managed to marvel at tiny brightly coloured fish and beautiful coral. Despite waves bashing around me and knocking me into other intrepid snorkelers I was surprised to realise that I was still a good swimmer. I ventured further out to sea, in fact, I became quite gung-ho but never lost sight of the boat.
So, I did it! Under duress and not something I would ever do again. Iāve ticked another box, my ears survived and I lived to face another day. Snorkelling was never on my bucket list. Neither was standing on The Edge!
The third and final birthday celebration was in Scotland, this year, a couple of weeks ago. My daughter and her family arranged for us all to stay in a little cottage in the north of Scotland. I was excited. There were no prearranged challenges and I could spend time with my family and relax. However, not far from the cottage was a Munro, the Scotās term for a mountain. It was Ben Vorlich. My husband has a motto, see mountain, must climb! That meant that Ben Vorlich needed to be climbed! Ben Nevis was 1,344 metres high. Ben Vorlich was only 985 metres. It would be a doddle!
Ben Vorlich apparently posed little threat to seasoned walkers with the right kit and good navigational skills. The views over Loch Earn are spectacular! It also offered great views over the lowlands and highlands as itās close to the Highland Boundary Fault! Everything to win, nothing to lose!
Sunday morning dawned with mist blocking out any views beyond a couple of metres. I heaved a sigh of relief. Weād have to climb Ben Vorlich another day! Alas, that relief was short-lived! A couple of hours later, in the rain, clutching my stick, hiking boots on, water and chocolate bars packed, I found myself starting the ascent. The U.K. has suffered with one of its wettest winters and springs for many years. Not only was visibility still only a couple of metres, but the paths were muddy, very slippery and, in parts, quite treacherous! On some of these paths the ascent was almost perpendicular!
The last half kilometre was the most difficult. I clung onto my stick with one hand and shrubs and stones with the other. Finally, on reaching the summit the fog was so thick that I could hardly see the chocolate bar I was hungrily eating for energy to get back down. I was in panic mode. Climbing up was bad enough but would my knee, actually both knees, cope with the descent? The last thing I needed was being out of action for weeks or even months on end, unable to do my weekly exercises!
But Iām sitting in my office writing this blog with another tick in a box. Climbing that mountain had not been on my bucket list either! Four hours later the mist cleared towards the end of our trek back down. The views were spectacular! So, I climbed Ben Vorlich, remained injury free and lived to tell another tale.
I am very grateful that the birthday celebrations (sic) are over and life has got back to ānormalishā! Living with my husband, just thirteen days older than me, sharing the same star sign yet being two very different people, heāll probably continue dragging me, kicking and screaming, out of my comfort zone! Perhaps he should write a bucket list for me? On second thoughts, maybe not! š
Jenny Burrell 