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Conquering the Unknown- Or Not
As difficult as it may be to do, I must admit that I tend to be set in my ways. Risk-taking is not my strong point, and I am often not willing to take a chance to try something new. My mentality is that a safer, less exposed environment is best to promote my well-being. The outcome of taking a risk seems to be far less rewarding-and more dangerous-than that of safety and security.
My ability to sacrifice a new experience for personal well-being is revealed throughout my life. For example, when I was only a child of age ten, my dislike for new types of food became evident.
One evening, my mother served Brussels sprouts and fish for dinner. Given that I was not the most cooperative child, I refused to eat anything on my plate. Therefore, I went to bed that night without dinner. While it is perfectly normal for a ten-year-old to not be willing to eat these types of food, my stubbornness in this case prevented me from eating the same foods ever since.
As I grew older and began to experience new events beyond my control, a trip with friends took me to Six Flags New England. While I enjoy thrill rides and roller coasters to a certain extent, I believe one coaster at the park to be insane. The "Superman, Ride of Steel" is more than 200 feet tall, and it reaches speeds of sixty-five miles per hour! It had been tested repeatedly, however, and proven to be perfectly safe. My fear at the time was that I would not enjoy the feeling of "10 seconds of weightlessness" while plummeting down the 210-foot, 65-degree initial drop. I waited while all of the people in my group entered the hour-long line. I couldn't even go off to see other attractions because, at the time, I didn't know my way around the park.
While I was waiting, I found a spot where the on-ride photographs were shown on television screens. In the same place, I could feel the powerful breeze from the speeding roller coaster train as it came about three feet away from my face. This was my thrill for sixty minutes. When my friends got off the ride, I was forced to hear them converse for a long time thereafter, telling me how great the roller coaster was and how much they wish I had joined them, but because of the hour-long line and the ride's technical difficulties, I didn't get the chance to ride the coaster that day.
After that day, I told myself that the next time I returned to the park I would make every effort to try out the roller coaster. When I returned to the park the year after and once again saw this monstrosity up close, I could not force myself to do so. This shows my lack of will power when it comes to trying something completely safe, but which intimidates me. Ironically, the safety record of the "Superman, Ride of Steel" became jeopardized in 2001, a full year after I first visited the coaster, when an accident occurred on the ride resulting in more than thirty injuries.
Now, in my adolescence, my knowledge of popular culture depends on how much I vary my exposure. I have a close-minded taste for music, however. I tend to listen to music only after hearing from a friend about how great an album is. My sister, who prides herself in helping me to acquire my taste for music, first owned about half of the albums I now own. Because of my worry that any album I buy will not meet my expectations and my money will be wasted, I am not able to take risks with purchasing new music and make decisions on my own about it.
My reluctance to "dig in" and try something different has, and may continue to, have an effect on the way I live my life. While I believe that new experiences are invaluable, my fear of the unknown prevents me from taking chances, no matter how safe or unsafe these chances may be.
This fear is beginning to trouble me less often and in less effectual ways. Unless I broaden my horizons completely, however, I will continue to avoid all things new-foods, experiences, and styles included-throughout my life. Article provided by 
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