January 16, 2010
Perhaps this fear is of my own making - a subconscious way to draw attention. When there’s no one watching, no one to complain to, no one to fuss over me then the fear seemed to almost naturally subside. I had only two choices facing me – choose to act or choose to back off. And in that moment of uncertainty, with one foot perched on the very first of the 1200 steps I decided to move forward because I felt compelled to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of being there - in that moment, in South Asia, in Sri Lanka, in Sigiriya, right there on the threshold of an ancient palace on a rock. Having come so far how could I not climb up and briefly go back in time and hope to relive a part of human history? Isn’t who we are today in so many ways shaped by human lives and minds and souls that have come before us?
Almost on top of the dizzyingly high rock the wind was so strong that it was already making me sway. I didn’t stay long and turned around and made my way back down the hundreds of steps and down to the car park. Going down the steps was even harder than the climb up. The clouds had begun to gather again in a darkening sky and the wind had begun to blow, and as soon as I sat in the car the heavens opened up and the rain came down in torrents. Just in time I thought. I’d like to believe that my journey this year was all about overcoming fears, hesitations and living out of my comfort zone, and the universe was making that possible for me.
The rain soon stopped and the sun appeared again making the green in nature glitter in the late afternoon light…