Facing their fears
5/3/2023Reaching a goal often requires planning, hard work and determination. Sometimes it also requires courage. For some, their fears stand in the way of moving forward. Others face those fears head on and meet the challenge. Residents who have accomplished what they thought they couldn’t share their stories of perseverance.
Joy Appenzeller
Fear of heights
When Joy Appenzeller found out her stepson, Al Appenzeller, was buying a hot air balloon, her first thought was that he was crazy. And though Al wanted Joy to experience a balloon flight with him, her fear of heights, and the thought of being in the air not attached to anything, kept her on the ground.
After 17 years, Joy finally had an important reason to conquer her fear. And it had to do with her husband, Terry, whose health was declining. Al had gotten a new basket with a door, and he wanted his dad to be the first to ride in it.
“I knew I needed to push past my fears because it might be the last time Terry and I would be able to ride together,” Joy says. “My love for him and doing things together was stronger than my fear.”
Looking back, she says she regrets that it took her so long to discover the joy of floating above the earth in a hot air balloon.
Source: Indianola Living, April 2023; by Becky Kolosik
Cindy Marnin-Borcherding
Fear of water
Cindy Marnin-Borcherding remembers becoming frightened of deep water when she was 5 — a fear that was reinforced later in childhood. It hadn’t been difficult avoiding the source of her fears, so she didn’t feel any strong desire to learn to swim. However, a vacation changed her mind.
“I decided after being in Mexico and loving the ocean — only up to my knees, that is — that I would try to conquer it, so I enrolled in private swimming lessons.”
Once she finally decided to face her fear, she was determined to overcome it in a big way — by snorkeling in the ocean. The lessons had helped her gain confidence and prepare her for her next trip to the ocean.
While snorkeling may not have become a hobby, Cindy says she is pleased to have finally overcome a fear that had followed her since childhood.
“I can’t say I will ever do it again. But, I can say that I did it,” she says.
Source: Adel Living, April 2023, by Chantel Boyd
Jerry Stratton
Fear of driving
Jerry Stratton, the associate principal at Summit Middle School in Johnston, is a driver education instructor and, as such, has been in the passenger seat beside his share of students with jitters — and outright fear — of driving.
“I got started after I had a student who was a passenger in a fatal car accident, and I wanted to help students and staff feel safe behind the wheel,” he says.
Despite the excitement many students have about learning to drive, they are also often apprehensive. “Everyone is nervous to some degree when we start,” he says. “The more practice they have before we start that first drive helps give them confidence and is a big factor in how stressed they are.”
One might wonder, is Jerry afraid when he gets in a car with a student driver? Some days — believe it or not — teaching driver’s ed is less stressful than his day job, he says.
Source: Johnston Living, April 2023, by Ashley Rullestad
John Hooker
Fear of public speaking
John Hooker, an engineering manager, admits that most engineers are great at their jobs — but not necessarily at speaking in public. “Engineering colleges don’t teach soft skills,” he said. “It’s intimidating to get up in front and talk to others.”
He’s not alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 75% of people rank fear of speaking in public as their top fear.
To gain confidence, John joined Toastmasters 11 years ago and is currently president of the Toastmasters group in West Des Moines. Members participate in a variety of speaking exercises and provide feedback to help each other improve and gain confidence in speaking before a group.
“I went from being a nervous wreck to speaking confidently at work,” he says. “I didn’t think I’d ever have the opportunity to speak in front of 300 people. Practice makes perfect. I might still be a little afraid, but I still go in and talk to people.” ♦
Source: West Des Moines/Jordan Creek Living, April 2023, by Jackie Wilson
