Getting Over the Wave

I have always dreamed of being a surfer girl. During every trip to the beach I was always focused on the surfers, small dots on the horizon, cruising down waves and having the time of their lives. My mind stuck on the idea of flying, and never let me forget it.

Every summer since I would practice my form in the backyard when no one was watching. The cycle went on for years, until I finally got the courage to ride real waves. So, I grabbed a board and surfed for the first time. The sea was smooth glass, with the occasional roaring wave; gulls were soaring overhead, salt lingering in the air. It was perfect, convincing me that I was going to be the best surfer on Newport Beach. Nothing could slow me down.

But, once I had gone too far out to reach the ocean floor, fear started creeping in on my perfect dream. Every minute spent on the board JUST further convinced me that something was lurking underneath me, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and drag me down to the depths of the sea.

In my excitement to surf, I had forgotten about my paranoiac fear of sharks. All sharks. Big, small, albino, spotted or purple. Every one means the end of the world to me. I can’t even be alone by any water because of this fear. And whenever I have the feeling that a shark is near, a huge panic attack with lots of hyperventilating or just frozen shock ensues. Always. Whether in a kiddie pool, the bathtub or in this case, while surfing.

As I sat on my board in the middle of the ocean, about to dissolve into a panicked shrieking mess, I realized that I could do this. All I had to do was stand up and surf one wave, then I could be done.  No shark or fish was going to stop me. So I stood up. And started soaring down a wave. Finally, I was really surfing. Living my dream. I flew down the wave with saltwater and freedom blowing in my face; let out a scream of happiness…and ultimately fell off the board into the shark infested water. The usual panic attack occurred then.

I had done it. I had conquered my fear, even if only for a minute. All that I needed to do was stand up and face it. Each of us has a fear of something. And we all have the power to overcome it and succeed. Maybe you want to get 100 percent on a chemistry lab exam, or kick a winning goal in a soccer game. Whatever the case, I believe our dreams can be achieved no matter what. Yeah, we'll always have fears, but we just need to stand up.