Rappelling Down Toronto City Hall -- Definition of Insanity

I wrote the post below before the grand rappelling adenture...

Unfortunately, I forgot to post it. Now, it's a bit anti-climactic, but I figured I would stick it up anyways, so you could see how I was thinking at the time.

So, it suddenly occurred to me that I might be insane.

Why is this?

As many of you know -- On June 3, 2010, Karina Sumner-Smith and I started fundraising for Right to Play as part of City Chase. Thanks to the wonderful support of friends, family, and complete strangers, we've raised over $2,600 -- more than our target.

Our reward: an opportunity to rappel down City Hall here in Toronto. Talk about the chance of a lifetime. Seriously. I'd never walk by the building again without thinking about it.

The thing is… I've been on vacation for the past two weeks. For the first time since our fundraising efforts began, I came into my office on the 23rd floor of an office building. During a meeting with my boss, I happened to glance out her window (because I don't have one).

You know what I suddenly realized? 23 floors is pretty high up. I mean…VERY HIGH.

City Hall, of course, is 28 storeys tall. I've written this number for the past two weeks without thinking about it. Yesterday, ksumnersmith and I even went to City Hall and stared it down (looking up from the ground).

Sitting up here on the 23rd floor of a building, I'm now getting the downward view.

We're insane. No question in my mind.

Whatever possessed me to want to do this? I mean, really? Okay -- that's a rhetorical question. I know exactly what possessed me.

When an idea comes into my head to do something new -- I tend to jump at the opportunity:

Do I want to spend a year in Japan? Sure.
Do I want to enter City Chase? Sure.
Do I want to go to Hawaii for 5 weeks to write a book? Sure.
Do I want to try and raise $2,500 in donations so we can rappel down City Hall? Sure.

You get the idea.

If I have the time to do something (and the money), I usually convince myself to try.

Aside: Yes, there are lots of exceptions…Do I want to go parachuting? Heck no. Bungee jumping? Never. Do I want to write another story about cats? You couldn't pay me enough.

I kind of didn't think about the actual rappelling down a giant building part of the question of whether I wanted to try and raise $2,500 in 10 days as part of City Chase. I just saw an interesting -- once in a lifetime -- opportunity and said …YES.

Me…the person who can barely climb a ladder. Who has never been on a real roller coaster. Me.

Insane? Heck yes.