ROCKCLIMBERS AND CLIFFHANGING




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iN SUMMER CAMP, MANY OF THE BOYS SCALED THE WALLS OF AN OLD QUARRY TO JUMP INTO THE MOCASSIN-INFESTED CALM, BLUE LAKE...WITHIN......THE PROSPECT OF THIS WOULD CAUSE ME TO VOMIT AND LOOSE MY BALANCE.......I CANNOT RIDE A FERRIS WHEEL OR EVEN A MERRI-GO-ROUND WITHOUT NAUSEA AND EXTREME ANXIETY....... THOSE WHO ACTUALLY SEEK OUT THESE ACTIVITIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HEROS.......WOW.......THEY SPRANG FROM DIVING BOARDS, HUNG FROM ROPES STRETCHED ACROSS GORGES AND CASMS; WALKED ON WIRES; SPELUNKED IN DARK, COLD CAVERNS........I ALWAYS PREFERRED THE SAFER TERRORS OF KARLOFF, AKIM TAMIROFF, WILLIAM CASTLE AND FORREST ACKERMAN......I ALWAYS KNEW THAT, EVEN AFTER THE VIRTUAL TERROR OF "IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE" OR "DR. MABUSE", I WOULD EXIT THE THEATER IN ONE PIECE AND COULD HAVE A BANANA SPLIT OR CHERRY COKE TO CALM MY NERVES.....MY FINGERS, EXHAUSED FROM HANGING ONTO THE CLIFF OF THE METAL BACK OF THE CHAIR IN THE NEXT ROW........