Know your limitations

Everybody in my building knows about it. "Know your limitations" was the helpful advice of one of my neighbours this evening and, to be frank, I thought I did. Nevertheless, I knew I was getting myself into a silly situation, but (once again) I didn’t want to “wimp out”. 

The first occasion was the “Hebron Tension Ambulation” – walking down ‘Sniper’s Alley’ in broad daylight.

The second  was the walk up the Snake Path at Massada when I could have elected to ride in the cable car. I really don't like heights and at one particular point (pictured below) I very nearly got down on all fours to make it past the narrowest part of the trail (but still managed to fire off a shot of my wife casually taking it all in her stride, oh yes!).

But I outdid myself a fortnight ago by agreeing to accompany my neighbour, Shaul, up to the roof to inspect our 'dood shemesh' (solar-heated water tank) to see if it was (ours that was) leaking, My head said, "No way!" and my heart said, "Don't let him think olim are wimps!", and my mouth said, "Of course I will!!". So we went up to the fourth floor and climbed TWO vertical metal ladders  up to the roof.

I put my head through the top hatch, quickly exclaimed, "It looks fine to me!" and then started to descend. But when I turned to climb onto the lower ladder I twisted a muscle in my back. That was on 16th January... I'm going for my second physiotherapy session tomorrow. Thank G-d, I'm more-or-less back to full strength but could do with a little bit more manipulation.

The irony is that I did exactly the opposite of what I spent years lecturing my children on what NOT to do (thanks for pointing that out, son) - don't take risks, better safe than sorry etc. On the other hand, in a funny kind of way, I proved myself right after all! Ha!