Re-Occurring Nightmare
I have this one re-occurring nightmare. It's not often. It's not even all that scary. However, if I have it . . . then I wake up with a racing heart and an uneasy feeling.
The dream goes like this: I am lost in Charleston, SC. I'm trying to get somewhere (the destination is always different), and I'm late. If you've ever been to Charleston, then you know- there are like a hundred different ways to get to your destination. The trouble is, I always pick the route that takes me over the scary bridge. I try so hard not to pick that one, but it seems like every time, I manage to get the scary bridge. It's a 2 lane bridge, with tons of traffic. There is no barrier between the two narrow lanes of traffic heading in opposite directions. There is also no barrier to keep you from going off the side. And of course, it's a really steep uphill. Like- 100 stories tall. It's like a roller coaster- but in your car, on a high up bridge, with scary traffic and nothing to keep you from going over the side. None of the other drivers are scared- they're speeding like crazy! I can't speed, I'm too scared. But driving slow is dangerous because they might try to run me off the bridge. Why did I pick this route again???? What inevitably happens is that I'm stuck at the bottom of the bridge, trying to get through this dilemma, of being late and going through a scary ordeal, when I thankfully wake up.
The other day we were on our way to the beach. We were leaving the mainland, heading over the inter-coastal waterway to Emerald Isle, when we went over this bridge:
The dream goes like this: I am lost in Charleston, SC. I'm trying to get somewhere (the destination is always different), and I'm late. If you've ever been to Charleston, then you know- there are like a hundred different ways to get to your destination. The trouble is, I always pick the route that takes me over the scary bridge. I try so hard not to pick that one, but it seems like every time, I manage to get the scary bridge. It's a 2 lane bridge, with tons of traffic. There is no barrier between the two narrow lanes of traffic heading in opposite directions. There is also no barrier to keep you from going off the side. And of course, it's a really steep uphill. Like- 100 stories tall. It's like a roller coaster- but in your car, on a high up bridge, with scary traffic and nothing to keep you from going over the side. None of the other drivers are scared- they're speeding like crazy! I can't speed, I'm too scared. But driving slow is dangerous because they might try to run me off the bridge. Why did I pick this route again???? What inevitably happens is that I'm stuck at the bottom of the bridge, trying to get through this dilemma, of being late and going through a scary ordeal, when I thankfully wake up.
The other day we were on our way to the beach. We were leaving the mainland, heading over the inter-coastal waterway to Emerald Isle, when we went over this bridge:
Doug was thankfully driving, because I had a melt down. It was like my nightmare came to life. I sat in the front seat with my eyes screwed shut, and my hands slammed over them- just to be sure there was absolutely no peaking, trying to take deep breaths. My kids were in the backseat, exclaiming about how cool it was!!!! Look how high up we were!!!! It was AWESOME!!!!! I was literally on the verge of a panic attack. I've never been so aware that I was about to have one. I've never had a panic attack. I've never been so freaked out. It's just a bridge. But it was JUST like the one in my dream. It was so weird and creepy and discomforting.
Now every time we go over a bridge, Andrew sits in the back, saying "reassuring" things like, "Mom, be brave. It's not scary." or "Mom, you got this!" Really I just want to knock him out, because it's not those little pansy bridges that are scary- it's the one we have to get on, to get back home that's scary. As if I need another reason to not want to leave the beach!
So why do you participate in the bridge run?
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