These last couple of weeks I’ve been thinking alot about fear. Fear is a natural response to situations we think are dangerous or are unfamiliar. Sometimes fear is warranted, sometimes it is not. Fear of the unfamiliar can paralyze us and prevent us from doing something that we may truly have enjoyed, if we could have overcome our apprehension. For example, its natural and beneficial to fear being far from shore on the water, after all humans can only swim so far
before tiring and needing something to float on. But if we can replace fear with respect we can achieve more than we might first imagine. In fact, as the initial thrill of overcoming a challenge wears off, it is often replaced by a desire to learn more. During the last couple of weeks I’ve mostly been teaching 3 hour group lessons to students with very little or no previous sailing experience. In each group there’s usually at least one, and sometimes several, individual(s) who has a strong fear of the lake. I think one of the most rewarding parts of my job as an instuctor is when I can help someone change their fear of the lake into respect for the lake. Often times, and especially with my younger students, the best remedy is to take them out on the boat and show them that its ok and there’s
nothing to worry about. Before long they’re eager to help steer the boat and trim the sails, while keeping a lookout for Champ (the friendly lake monster), and they get so busy that they forget to be scared. I can see how their new found respect for the water will blossom into a love for sailing.
