Panic

Panic

When I was 22, during my Hemingway adventure stage, I went on a mountain trek expedition south of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.  We really didn't know what we were doing, but we were young, healthy and in excellent shape, so full speed ahead!

On one challenging mountain path, we literally had mountain rising on one side and immense drop off on the other side of an area about six or seven feet across.  It sloped toward the drop off side, but not badly and we were traversing it quite nicely … until some loose, gravelly rock broke loose beneath my right foot.  I started to slide inexorably toward the drop off, toward a fall that would kill me. I rolled to my side trying to get as much of my body engaged with the solid layer underlying me as possible, anything to get friction without accelerating the slide. As they say, although this took very little time, it etched in my memory as though it took a half hour.

With my feet approximately 1-2 feet from the edge, my body finally found the necessary solid resistance so desperately sought and the slide stopped.  I just laid there for a bit catching my breath, letting my blood pressure drop, my sky rocketing pulse lessen.  First, I had to make sure of my surroundings to be sure that I would not initiate a new slide to find the good news that the gravelly rock had gone over the edge and I was going to be able to safely establish footing.  Then I looked down at a gorgeous view of a river hundreds of feet below and I took time to relax.

Panic definition: a sudden overpowering fright!  Did I feel panic?  Absolutely by this definition.  But I've seen other definitions that include that fear leading to irrational behavior.  I did not have irrational behavior.  I didn't scramble and possibly throw myself over the edge.  I didn't faint.  I went totally into survival mode at a level I've never achieved in any other event in my life.

That response was my body mobilizing resources immediately to give me strength, speed and alertness.  I think I could have lifted the side of a car right then if that would have been necessary.  This is the whole purpose of successful panic in a body.  It is sometimes needed in the immediate.

Unfortunately, it can be very detrimental when fear rises without an immediate outlet, for mobilizing these forces over a sustained period of time is harmful to the body and doesn't lead to rational planning.  It leads to a fight or flight response when the proper response is patience.

The result in many people is rushing to stores in the time of our current pandemic, gathering in crowds, hoarding items unneeded, pushing and shoving.  Then it becomes difficult to sit still in isolation at home as the panic sweeps in waves of extreme fear with no effective outlet or action.  There is no clearly defined ledge, no gravel beneath your body, no action possible against an invisible threat.  It isn't even possible to know if you've already toppled over the edge and are really experiencing an unknown slow motion fall!

For once, we need to not listen to our bodies when they try to motivate us.  We need to listen to our minds.  We will get through this if we do and, afterward, we will appreciate a new perspective with maturity that appreciates the beauty of the river of time flowing below our feet, wending it way through the mountain passes of our lives!

And while that river flows, check out my blog mates' takes on the same topic from Ramana, Sanjana, Padmum and Shackman!