Reflective Essay: This Is A Challenge By Choice Course

“This is a Challenge by Choice Course, which means that you can choose to try this course, and you can choose to do as much of it as you want.” But to me, the words “by Choice” didn’t apply. They never seemed to apply. As I looked up, the rock wall seemed even taller than before – as if it had extended itself, taunting me, proclaiming, “Now you’ll NEVER beat me!” But at only six years old, forfeit wasn’t an option. In fact, in front of my peers, there were only two: success, or utter, soul crushing defeat. When I was only six years old on an overnight field trip, I was supposed to be having the time of my life. But instead young, friendless me saw it as a quest: Show off your amazing physical strength (I was short and weak) and people will …show more content…
I told myself that it was just me preparing to be swarmed by friends when I reached the top. As I went through the safety checks with my guide, I decided that it would be a good idea to look up. As I started to process just how high up forty feet was, I started to regret my decision of ever coming here. Why couldn’t I just vanish right now? It would save me so much embarrassment if I could just disappear right now and never come back. But I decided instead to focus on what my strategy would be: Try to scale as quickly as possible, or take it slowly and milk the time I had on the …show more content…
Should I have skipped this course? If I fail, where will be the easiest place to run away to? Alaska seemed like a very good idea. Maybe I could befriend a polar bear. They were nice and cuddly on TV! Should I have eaten this much cereal? I could feel it making a resurgence in my throat. However, before I could make the decision on whether or not to try to disconnect the harness and run, I heard the guide yell, “Justin! Do you want to come down now?” She was offering to let me down – out of this hell. But on the other hand, there were still twenty-five feet to go before I could proclaim myself king of the