No. 100 - PARK FIREMAN'S POLE

No it's not what you think! My grandparents have lived in the same house since Mum was in school. And for as long as I've been around, we would obviously visit them. A very short walk from their house is a park with a small children's playground. This park holds my life's biggest nemesis - the fireman's pole.

I'm scared of heights, that's no secret. But this pole has made my palms sweaty for years!

To get on the pole you had to climb up a rope net. Then, on the platform you had to step over the barrier (I think this is what made it seem scary to me - why would I want to step over that safe barrier?). Then you reach out and grab onto the pole, and at some point (4 years from today, or in my case about 24 years!) you lean onto the pole and slide right down. I'm getting nervous just writing this, I tell no lie!

Every time we went to my grandparents place I knew that I HAD to go to the park and conquer my fear. I had to do it EVERY time. It might take days but I wouldn't leave until I had done it. And the worst thing is I know that if I was to go there tomorrow it would still take me just as long to slide down. Now, I've been the same height for over 12 years so it has been considerably less of a distance to the ground for some time. This is just something I'm never going to be comfortable with.

I'm trying my best not to instill this fear in Brian, but I've already had instances where playground equipment heights have freaked me out. God help us if we find a park in Brisbane with a fireman's pole!