Bridge To Breakdown

I work every Sunday. Just one day a week. On this day I like to drive through the country on the roads I grew up on, listen to the radio & get a good calm before I start my day. Yester day I was trapped in a pack of cars all turning left (the way I was going), so I decided to go straight & take the next left. I do so & maybe quarter mile up I see my nightmare. One lane wood bottomed bridge. Oh Hell no! No way to turn around. You see, all bridges frighten me, but these old bastards have starred in multiple night terrors. I sit there for probably 15 minutes, then nail the gas & when I finally made it across I realized I was screaming at the top of my lungs & sobbing uncontrollably. Fear 1- Me-0. All facing my fear got me was the day off work & anger at myself for being this way. Just felt like a child still scared of the boogeyman. ( yes, that tool ).

They freak me out too!
Although I don't have as extreme a reaction as you I do feel panic.

Don't know what to tell you except avoid them where you can. Maybe you can get some info on the local ones like maintenance records. Might help reassure you that you will be safe taking your car across.

Angry at yourself?? Be PROUD!! You took a step against your fear. You were strong, courageous, and going in the right direction. It's worse, IMHO, to have a fear you are unwilling to tackle. Avoiding it is not my advice here.

I am proud of you. Keep going.

The REAL score is You 1, Fear 0

Because you did not let your fear stop you.

Does it count that my only other option would've been to drive in reverse back the way I came? Thank you, though, it makes me feel a little less like a coward. I'll take that win, for I get so very few.

Trust me, you won the BATTLE. You may not have won a war, but you scored a victory.

At the battle of Agincourt the English archers, vulnerable and horribly outnumbered by the superior french knights, were trapped with no where to go. You know who won? Those archers. Not only that, but they crippled France and began a new era where England wrested control of the French throne for a period. All because the trapped, unlikely archers stood up against a daunting foe.

Although you were trapped, you won a battle against what seemed like impossible odds. One battle won, that's all it took.

I guess I never thought of it that way. Thanks for the perspective. I guess one small victory is pretty awesome after all