Or, how I gave myself a break for not going 600 feet up in the air.

The lead

“You’ve got this,” I tell myself as I walk toward the Space Needle. “Just walk up there, buy the ticket, take the elevator, take some pictures, come back down. You’ve got this.”

But I don’t.

I’ve been on 150 flights over the past 3 ½ years — maybe not much as some travelers in that time span, but for a guy who couldn’t get on the roof of his own house because of his fear of heights, that’s pretty impressive. And the fact that I’m usually dozing as these hunks of metal and jet fuel hurtle into the sky at 180 mph should say something about how I’ve adjusted.

But those tall buildings, like the Space Needle or the Eiffel Tower? Still not my thing.

I wanted to go to the top of the Space Needle primarily because I was in Seattle and I had the time, and it would serve as a nice challenge for myself. With no one there to give me the proverbial push, it was up to me … and my guilt-ridden conscience after I shared a photo of the Space Needle from below on Instagram.

A couple folks, notably my ever-supportive wife, tried to encourage me through the ‘Net. Ultimately, as you might have guessed by now, I stayed on the ground.

I don’t consider it a failure, though, which is impressive considering how hard I can be on myself. Instead, I look at this situation as an argument: taking on your fears vs. knowing your limitations.

Am I afraid of heights? Yes, but on certain terms, in certain situations. Could I have pushed myself to go up to the top of the Space Needle? Sure. But would I have enjoyed myself? Probably more than I think I would have, but probably not so much that it would have been worth it.

Besides, skipping the trip to the top of the Space Needle gave me more time at the nearby Museum of Pop Culture, with its exhibits on Pearl Jam and Nirvana and Prince and sci-fi and horror films. Now that, I got.

My week that was

The reason I was in the Seattle area was to cover a veterans’ appreciation event in Tacoma. I was also in California a couple days earlier for a different assignment; more on that next week.

Cool links

My flight back from Seattle went through Kansas City. Far be it from me to suggest what some other city should do with its airport, but here are a few stories I found that may give you an inkling of my thoughts on said airport: It’s. Not. Great. (Admittedly, those aren’t all super-recent but it hasn’t gotten better).

Just to get this Hoosier back on a positive note, Victor Oladipo thinks the Indiana Pacers will make the playoffs again this season. So there’s that to look forward to. Sigh.

Dad Joke of the Week

I didn’t want to go spelunking, but then I caved.

For your listening pleasure

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