Doing things that scare us

My husband and I have a poster, 100 Things to Do Before You Turn 100, hanging in our living room.

We use it as inspiration for date nights and vacation activities.

(I'm not an affiliate for this product, but here's the link so you can check it out.)

It was a small gamble on my part, as I gave it to him before we'd even been dating for a month!

Fortunately, Dan's as excited about using it, if not more so, than I am.

We've known each other for 2 years and have already done about 30 things on the list.

Some have been easier for one person than for the other. 

Here are 3 examples:

1. Sing karaoke (scary for Dan, easy for Kari)

One of my favorite things to do, but Dan had never done it.

With the help of some liquid courage, and after practicing at home, he sang karaoke for the first time.

Now we have regular karaoke date nights at Libretti's. Dan's built a small but mighty repertoire, including "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt. :) 

Take a cooking class (easy for both)

This one was a LOT of fun. Chef Matteo (upper left corner of the photo above) gave us his Mom's sacred recipe for making homemade gnocchi. (Hint: Idaho potatoes are the best.) 

I told Chef Matteo a lewd potato joke, but he was not impressed. Ah well, the food was delicious!

Learn to surf (easy for Dan, scary for me)

This picture was taken BEFORE the lesson. I was already terrified! It was very difficult to pull on the damp, mildewy wetsuit, so how was I going to actually surf?

Fortunately, our instructor Katie was kind and patient. (shout out to Sugar Surf Cape Cod!) She had us practice on the sand, finding our center of gravity, laying belly down on the boards, then "popping up" (for me, it was more like a slow rise to my knees first.)

But then she explained that our surfboards had a "deadly sea snake pattern" on the bottoms, to deter sharks. This was less than reassuring. I wasn't sure I could do this.

We waded into the water, which was FREEZING. But I was so filled with adrenaline that I didn't notice the temperature after about a minute.

I went first, because if I didn't give this a try right away, I was exiting the water for good. I lumbered onto the board, wobbling a little while centering my body in the salty water. Katie turned me around to face the sands of Marconi Beach.

She reminded me, "All you have to do is paddle when I say 'paddle,' and pop up when I say 'pop up.'"

OK! Paddle, paddle, paddle... and NOPE. I was not popping up. 

I clung to the board like it was my last hope for survival. On my belly, I rode that little wave all the way to shore... LOL. Is there a name for that sport?

I wish I could tell you that I went back in again and again, and can't wait to take my next surfing lesson.

Instead, I dragged my sea snake board to the sand, thanked it for its service, and waded back into the water to cheer on my husband. And admired the young girls who were so adept at surfing, and were having a blast. 

So what does this have to do with knitting?

One thing I love about the 100 Things poster is that it puts us in a beginner's state.

If you've never learned to knit, or you tried it years ago and it didn't work out, I'm here to encourage you to give it another try.

Likewise, if you could never get the hang of crochet, or you haven't tried it yet, I believe everyone should, at least once!

The chance of failure at anything - even something non-life-threatening like knitting - can put our bodies in an anxious state.

Learning a new skill in private (but knowing you can reach out to me for help) is a great way to practice being uncomfortable, without putting yourself in danger.

I'd love for you to comment below, and let me know what you've tried lately that was a bit (or a lot) scary!