by Sheba Arifullah

So I don’t just sit and complain, or contemplate my single life; I do actually have a life, which includes many random adventures. Yes, some of them are super geeky and nerdy adventures, but it’s a life nonetheless! One such adventure was having the pleasure of partaking in the CN Tower Edgewalk! I was not alone in this endeavour, a few other brave individuals decided to do it with me as well. What made this adventure more interesting, and rewarding than other ones, was that it was for charity.

Islamic Relief, is a charity organization that on top of other things they do, have things called “IR Challenges.” These challenges range from marathons, to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, but all are to raise money and awareness for those in need. All you have to do is register, and pay a registration fee which can vary depending on the challenge, then set up a crowd-funding page so that you can collect and track the money you raise. The Edgewalk was one of the challenges they offer, and it was on my bucket list. So when a friend’s mom said she wanted to do it, I was more than thrilled to join her!

Raising the money was probably the most challenging part for me. With two or three weeks left, I was worried that I wouldn’t make my goal of raising a thousand dollars (which was the minimum to participate in the challenge). I had been stressing that if I did not make it, I would not be able to do the Edgewalk, and I had been so excited about it (I had been planning and hyping myself up for about a month!) Plus, can you imagine telling everyone that you were going to do the Edgewalk, then a few days before being like, “Just kidding, I’m not doing it any more. I didn’t raise enough money. Fail. Good-bye.” (Then exits stage right and cries in a corner). Alhamdulillah*, I ended up making the minimum and actually going over it; woohoo! This meant all systems were a-go. Yes, I thought this when I found out that I had raised the money. People keep forgetting I am a geek, and I tend to say things like that! I also realized, that if I continue to go into THIS much detail, this will turn into an epic essay!

“I’ve been skydiving, so how scary could this be?”

The day of the walk, I was so excited the minute we were all suited up, and heading up the elevator. I figured, “I’ve been skydiving, so how scary could this be?” Turns out, it’s a little scarier. Mind you, I wasn’t terrified, but it was a little more daunting. In skydiving, once you’re out of the plane, there is nowhere to go but down, so you deal with it. For the Edgewalk, you’re constantly reminded how high above the ground you are, and that there’s nothing you can do about it! Alhamdulillah though, I put a lot (and I mean a LOT) of faith in the equipment, and our guide. I assumed he would grab the rope or rappel if I slipped off the edge he’d come over, hopefully running, and save me! I quickly learned that it is not possible to dangle over the side like a rag doll, but that did not stop my imagination from convincing me otherwise. However, after the first couple of activities (yes you do activities), I felt quite relaxed.

One of the activities we were required to do, was to literally, walk along the edge. As we were walking, the guide told us to look at the buildings in the distance, and not look at our feet. Everyone else seemed to be handling it like a pro, but I had to keep glancing down at my feet because I don’t walk straight, and I was worried I would just fall over the edge, and dangle like a rag doll.. my imagination wouldn’t let it go!

In the end, I found it was an amazing experience, and look forward to doing it again some time. I’m crazy, I know! I guess doing things like this is both humbling, and makes you realize of what you’re really capable of. Plus (and it may sound cliché), I figure if I can do something out of my comfort zone, I’m sure I can and will accomplish anything else that may scare me.

So I might as well go for it, because you know, YOLO carpe diem!

Glossary:

* On any occasion and in any situation when Muslims desire to praise God, they may say: Alhamdulillah (الحمد لله). The triconsonantal root Ḥ-M-D (ح م د), meaning "praise," can also be found in the names Muhammad, Mahmud, Hamid and Ahmad.

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