Unfortunately that is not me in the picture above

I have a saying about my first times... if they are embarrassing to tell now, there is a least likely chance I will share a story about it several years later. At the time that I experienced whatever it was, I was overwhelmed with fear. Fear that sometimes made me hesitate and back out of trying something for the first time.

Yet, that I didn't stop me when I tried riding a jet-ski for the first time. See, the interesting part about fear is that it sometimes makes you back away from a situation, and other times it pushes you, exhilarates you to try it like that summer day last year.

Two years ago in July, my dad decided to invite our friends and take his jet-ski out on the river that was only a couple minutes away.

He also was planning to try to convince me (like he did several times that year) to ride a jet-ski. This jet-ski is the "stand-up one" where in order to ride it, you have to ride it standing up. Yet, you have to slowly push yourself up while the jet-ski is in motion. Easier said than done. Especially if you are like me and struggle with even doing a simple chin-up.

Little did I know then. I squeezed the handle on the jet-ski just like on a motorcycle. The jet-ski let out a growl and almost ripped my hands from my body. I steadied the grip on the jet-ski, then I jumped on my knees on the foam platform and pressed the gas button.

I sprinted straight on the other side of the river. The moment I tried to stand on the jet-ski, I lost my balance and fell backwards in the water. I fell back into the water and almost went underwater, luckily being pushed up by the lifejacket that I was wearing.

As I fell back, I felt the cold water splash near my ears, the jet-ski tipped over and was falling in the same direction as I did. I steered it toward my left side and it crashed onto the water. I began swimming towards the jet-ski that was continuously swimming in a circle like a dog chasing its tail.

I glanced at the other side of the river where my parents and friends stood and saw me. I grabbed the handles and tried to climb on top of it with the gas off. I slipped back into the water. I grabbed the handles and steered back toward my parents and friends. The jet-ski dragged me back.

I made it to land, and my shins burned from jumping on my knees on the jet-ski, but the experience stayed with me.

I didn't "stand on" the jet-ski that day. It's first time experiences that teach me to conquer fears. Fear is what drives us to do activities that otherwise we would never try, and never have a good story to tell.