What would you do if you weren't afraid?

[Simini]

Simple question.

[Skyler]

I'd cash in my IRA's and mutal funds, empty my savings and checking, take cash advances from my credit cards, get a loan from the bank, borrow as much money as possible from my folks and my friends, take it to Vegas and bet it all on one roulette spin.

[Harris]

Kill, maim, and destroy most likely. Because the Dark Side is cool.

[G]

Pretty much exactly what I'm doing now, since I'm not afraid of anything.

Cept my mom, but that's a matter of respect and castration.

[Vanion Shadowcast]

Mass murder.

[DUEL Psly FTA]

Kill, maim, and destroy most likely. Because the Dark Side is cool.

Ummm. . .aren't you in the Army?

[Harris]

Being in the Army doesn't give you free reign to kill, maim, and destroy. We have pesky rules of engagement.

[Topaz]

Pretty much exactly what I'm doing now or not, since lack of fear is not equal to lack of intelligence.

[Onyx]

Confront the monkey in my closet.

[DUEL Psly FTA]

Being in the Army doesn't give you free reign to kill, maim, and destroy. We have pesky rules of engagement.

Ooohhhhhh. . .see, you didn't say you wanted free reign. But, you still can kill, maim, and destroy, should the orders you get say that.

[Alais d Nitesong]

Go become a hermit in the mountains, take my dogs and horses and disappear from humanity.

[Simini]

I posted this question, and I still don't have an answer.

I liked Skyler's answer of betting everything on one roulette spin... but that's just not me. I also like the idea of doing something positive for the world... but I'm doing what I can in that area anyway... fear isn't stopping me.

Perhaps something daredevilish that I *am* afraid to do for fear of leaving my children without a mom. Like... skydive. Pre-kids, I always said that I'd be afraid, but I'd do it. Now... mmmm... don't think so. Sorry.

I am sure though, that it wouldn't be something destructive. Lack of fear isn't what keeps me from doing "bad" things, it's lack of desire to do them.

The power of fearlessness... something to ponder.

[Vinny]

Perhaps something daredevilish that I *am* afraid to do for fear of leaving my children without a mom. Like... skydive. Pre-kids, I always said that I'd be afraid, but I'd do it. Now... mmmm... don't think so. Sorry.

Sure I can't convince you to change your mind if I jump with you? I've been kicking around the idea of making a jump myself lately.

And to add an answer to your original question, I'd go and take care of some of the skeletons I've buried in my closet over the years.

[Elijah]

I only have 14 jumps to my credit. Though 8 of them are HALO jumps. No that isn't "Master Cheif" styled parachuting you gameing geeks! It's High Altitude deployment, Low Altitude opening. HAHO jump I've done twice, High Altitude deployment, High Altitude opening. My dream has always been to take an oxygen tank, an IPOD, some pills of ecstasy and jump out at about 30,000 feet in the jet stream somewhere along the Pacific Northwest coastline between Seattle and Portland and pull my chute right away.

Then I would float on the wind while buzzed listening to great music and still be able to breathe and see how far across America I could ride the jet stream before coming down to land.

The freakiest jump I ever did, was while sitting in a C-5 Hercules with my unit and Seal Team 5 out over the Pacific Ocean. The bay door open and all I could see is two shades of blue that met in the middle of my vision. Light sky blue above and dark sea blue below. Not a strip of land anywhere in my visision at about 18,000 feet above sea level. I'm more of a mountain guy, not an ocean guy. I can swim, but there is a reason I chose Army Special Forces over Navy Seals. Being one of the lowest ranked guys in my unit I was last one out on my "stick" to jump out.

We had to land in a line on the top of a submarine right after it rose to the surface. I was SOOOOOOOO AFRAID I would miss the back of the sub and end up getting cut in the propellers I was running through the air going "Please please let me catch some steel!"

If the world was going to end tomorrow I wouldn't do that again. It was like one of those amusement rides where you are saying..."Make it stop make it stop make it stop.....do it again....do it again....oh no make it stop...do it again!"

[Simini]

First, a clarification: When I said "I asked this question, and I still don't have an answer" I meant that I didn't have an answer from myself, not that the answers that were given didn't count, or something. Sorry about that, didn't realize the other way to interpret that until I reread it just now, heheh.

Secondly... nope, but thanks Vinny. My fear of jumping from an airplane and dying wouldn't be alleviated by the presence of another person, because... even holding hands won't make a malfunctioning parachute open, LOL!

Thirdly... I am thinking that maybe I do have an answer from myself now. And it's interesting because I decided a few months ago to overcome this fear, and I am already taking steps to do so. I want to get over my nervousness around handguns. I don't want to own one and I certainly can't have one a house with three small boys, but... if I ever change my mind about that, it'll probably be the day AFTER I should have learned how to handle one.

I don't like handguns because their sole purpose is to do harm to people. It is an instrument of war. But having said that... being a single mom on the ground level of an apartment building on a very busy intersection makes me think about things. Don't get me wrong... I realize there is some irrationality here, and I've taken on some other defensive strategies too; but my gun nervousness is just something that I've decided to conquer. At this point, there is no intention to do anything with the new knowledge.