When we are close to the end of a massive undertaking, there often comes a decision point. Do we call it quits, or carry on to the end? This is precisely the juncture the adventurers faced in this chapter. They had to make up their minds if they would continue to “the very end of the world,” or stop where they were – “the beginning of the end of the world.” Other than the initial choice to embark on the journey, I reckon that this decision – to forge ahead when one doesn’t yet have the end in sight – is the most difficult.
Indulge me with what might seem like a silly example to most. Particularly since a skiing ‘incident’ (let’s just say it required a snowmobile to get me down the mountain) in 2009, I have been less than friendly with the feeling of rapidly sliding downward from a high place. So, when I saw the colossal waterslide at Lakeland camp, I knew we would not get along. But my husband and our friends were having so much fun! With a mixture of daring myself and abject terror, I decided to try it. On the way up the steps I tried to take comfort in the fact that my five-year-old niece wasn’t afraid. I begged my husband and the waterslide operator to give me tips on how to go as slowly as possible. Even so, at the top I had to resolve again – much like Caspian and his gang – whether I really would go through with it. I could’ve backtracked sheepishly down the stairs, in the same way that one lone sailor remained behind on the Island of the Star. But in the crucial moment, I decided to go for it. As I tried to smash my mat down with all my might, I realized that I was leaning back and holding my breath. That helped me feel more in control, but it also felt more frightening. Then, in my mind, I ‘heard’ an instruction to “lean forward and breathe.” Though it felt like losing control, it also slowed me down. I made it all the way to the bottom – without flying over the edge or dying of fright. As a person who tends to tread lightly through life, these simple instructions – “lean forward and breathe” – remind me to embrace my day and be present.
So when in a moment of pain or danger, try to picture your future self. What choice would make you proud of yourself once you are out of the fear and darkness? It’s easy to be an ‘armchair’ adventurer, but much more difficult to seize the opportunity when it presents itself.
