A Hike, The Ocean and Not Dying Today - NaBloPoMo Day 2

Yesterday I wrote about figurative risk.

Today?

Literal - as in, I almost died kind of risk.

O.k., not really. But, I could have died...if you consider that death can happen at any time, especially when it is super inconvenient and it would have been TOTALLY inconvenient today...especially for me. 

I went hiking with Hubbypants today.

Historically, hiking has been a risky event when we do it together...because, we don't seem to speak the same language when it comes to things like distance and difficulty.

He'll say, "It isn't that hard and there's only, like, one medium(ish) difficulty hill." What he neglects to say is that he considers "medium" a mountain that takes us from sea level, through the troposphere and onward to tickling the bottommost level of the stratosphere. (Dude, I got an A+ in my college geography class, I know this shit).

O.k., not really - the part about Hubbypants (he isn't that extreme), but I totally DID get that A+ in geography.

However, Hubbypants' idea of difficult and my idea of difficult really are beings from different solar systems.

Hubbypants is training to hike Mount Whitney this summer, which...knowing him, he likely considers a medium hike. When he isn't doing training hikes with his buddies, he likes to hike the local trails with me. I've been walking lots of hills, so they don't scare me as much as they used to, especially when I already know the terrain of our hike. When I don't? I get a little nervous and contact 911 in advance so they can start warming up the 911 chopper to airlift me out.

But today? Today I took a risk and agreed to a hike because 1) it involved the ocean and 2) I'm insane and I love Hubbypants and he makes me like doing stuff with him, despite my efforts not to. I think he's slipping something into my coffee.

Well, it totally worked in my favor and was a fabulous hike. We traipsed over 7 miles with NO HILLS. I know! Fucking awesome!!! Although, I do want to go on record saying that I was totally willing to walk some hills, because they've proven to be ass shrinkers and...well...mine still needs some shrinking.

I'm so glad I took the risk and put myself out there, willing to face whatever incline lay in my path...and potential certain death. Let's not forget how close y'all came to losing me today - those cliffs TOTALLY could have given way, sweeping me out to sea to become a hearty snack for Jaws.

But, I'm a survivor, I am.

I'll leave you with these images of our day - commence with the jealousy...

 And so it begins...

It looks as if the cliffs are thirsty and swallowing the sea!

I sent Hubbypants in first, 'cause I'm not an idiot.

I know I can't outrun the Kracken, unless its busy eating someone other than me.

Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made.

I love you, Hubbypants and I would have totally missed you!

He survived, I guess the Kracken wasn't hungry. Whew....close call...

Rugged California coast

Poor wittle rock...all alone on the beach, no one to play with.

Anyone else see the squat little face wearing a top hat as it rises from the sea?

No?

No one sees that?

Not even just a little, like if you squint your eyes and look at it sideways?

What if you do all of the above AFTER a shot or 3 of tequila?

Still no?

Yeah...um...I don't see it either.

As soon as Hubbypants was done hogging the view,

I went out there to look. 

Which, when you have a touch of vertigo, can be just downright stupid.

See, taking risks and living to tell the tale. 

Risk

Where will it lead you?

Risk Schmisk - Diving into NaBloPoMo

I am the worlds best ignorer. I can ignore things on an epic level.

Clutter? Where? I don't see any clutter.

The cat puked...again...? I don't see anything. 

Oh, you mean THOSE dirty dishes? Where'd they come from?

Then, something comes along that disrupts the force of my superpower and makes me pay attention, like this month's NaBloPoMo. NaBloPoMo is National Blog Posting Month, and the idea is to write a daily blog post for the entire month. On BlogHer, NaBloPoMo is perpetual, like...every month is National Blog Posting Month. Everyone seems to be o.k. with this, despite the fact that BlogHer is also INTERnational.  I totally vote we update the wording on this.

But, I digress....

THIS month's NaBloPoMo theme is RISK.

I was going to post the definition of RISK according to dictionary.com, but damn...someone was having a bad day when they wrote the definitions and was being a total Debbie Downer: risk of war, risk of injury, risk of death. Sheesh, it's like a black hole opened up and sucked out all the happy!

So, I'll define it myself:

Risk - doing something which scares the pants off of you. 

See, Dictionary.com - this is NOT depressing. Terrifying, yes...but NOT a total downer.

I am a huge fan of taking risks. That doesn't always mean I do it myself. I often like reading about risks OTHER people take, especially when they are successful. I don't like reading about risks that end tragically. However, a risk that falls flat on its face, but ends well despite the crash? Yeah, I'm o.k. with those as well.

Are you with me so far?

All of my references to RISK are not physical. When I talk of RISK, I talk about the theoretical - where you remove the barbed wire that prevents you from stepping out of your comfort zone. Once you do, there are perimeter risks. Most of us are comfortable with small risks, posting a blog update daily is one of them. Once you move past that mine field, there are more topics to explore with riskier results - what will my readers think of me if I reveal more of myself? I don't me me, literally...I mean the community of bloggers who write about life in general.

Being genuine is a risk. Telling someone you keep a blog is a risk. Writing about a deep place inside ourselves is a huge risk. Exposing ourselves is a risk (this is one of those risks that is also literal - exposing unmentionable body parts to people on the street is against the law, so think before you  flash).

I attempt to do all of the above with some regularity, except the physical exposure...which I'm sure hubbypants will feel compelled to comment on.

I don't usually  tell people I have a blog. I have my blog link as an automatic signature on my email, but I often erase it when sending email to people I don't know (sometimes, even to people I do know).

I don't know why. It's fear, I suppose. Fear of being thought of as ridiculous, despite my love of all things ridiculous. While I love being wacky, I don't REALLY want people to think I'm a complete wackadoodle. Quirky and randomly whimsical - yes. Bat shit crazy - no.

Of all the risky things I've done in my life, revealing to a stranger that I write a blog shouldn't even be on my RISKY radar. But it is. And, because of this month's NaBloPoMo theme, I've decided to call myself out and face my fear.

I'm taking on the blogging challenge this month - 31 days of blog posts. I'm challenging myself to be less reluctant to share myself with people I don't know. I'll have to RISK being thought of as weird and awkward to some. Perhaps others will think of me as doing the back stroke in a pool of awesome sauce.

NaBloPoMo...here I come!