I recently returned from the first annual C.S. Lewis Foundation Writers’ Conference at the beautiful, and elevated, Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs. It was a breathtaking, heart throbbing experience.
I’d like to say that I hobnobbed with writers from all over the country carrying on easy, “unanxious”, conversations about our favorite Lewis writings. I’d like to say that I made new friends, attended all the functions and came away with new contacts to enrich my writing career. I’d like to even say that an agent or publisher was so entranced, enthused and excited about my writing projects that I came home with some serious potential publishing pathways.
Alas, no…as George Smiley often said in “Smiley’s People”.
What really happened… Now, the folks who know me know I have close relationship with anxiety, heights and excessive speeds. So no flying or freeways for me. I work around that to the consternation of some of my kids.
My friend and I enjoyed the day and a half train ride to Denver, and held on for dear life during a fast Uber ride to Colorado Springs (I asked her to go slower, but I guess in Colorado, 75 is slow). All was good, no anxiety…yet. We got to our room in the late afternoon with some time to glimpse the beautiful surroundings. Oh, this is gonna be so cool!
The next day, before the evening kick-off to the conference, we wandered the Glen Eyrie site a bit, found some birds…of course, and made a quick jaunt to Garden of the Gods. By the time we got to Garden of the Gods, I was already feeling a little sluggish. And when I saw the literal breathtaking, heart palpitating view of Pike’s Peak, the altitude sickness began to creep in. We took a trolley ride around the park, and I was so tired I pretty much abandoned taking any more pictures.
Once we returned to our room, I got ready for the evening. I dressed up, grabbed my journal and purse and headed over to the castle. When I got to the little bridge by the castle, I was fervently praying, “don’t faint, don’t faint”. I sluggishly walked to the foyer of the castle and sat down.
“Oh, it’s upstairs in the Great Room…” the kind greeter announced. I perused the multi-tiered staircase and said, “Uh, no, I don’t think so.” “But there’s an elevator…” “Uhm, I don’t think I can make the event at all.” The kind greeter quickly got me some water, and one of the speakers’ husbands shared some kind words. I texted the front office, and they helped me back to my room.
I was so nervous, that I easily slipped into a decent panic attack. My sweet friend, very concerned, made me some Lemon Balm tea, and the nice fella that brought me back to the room, got me some bananas in hopes of raising my magnesium levels. My panic attack didn’t last too long, but it did leave a precedent for the next two days. In the midst of my panic attack, I was even thinking if we should just go home early. I woke the next morning still nervous, but not panicky. Better.
My friend and sister in the Lord, Sandy, absolutely fell in love with Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods and Glen Eyrie. She marveled at the exceptional hospitality and all the kind folks we met throughout our time. Sandy is a rock nut. She loves rocks of all shapes and sizes, colors and contours. The large boulders that dotted Glen Eyrie and Garden of the Gods as well as all the various rock formations we saw on the train ride thrilled her. I confess I was getting a little tired of the rocks especially because I didn’t see too many birds. But before I went to bed that panicky night, I put on Family Bible Reading Fellowship and the sublime Henderick Van Dyke spoke these words into my quivering heart:
“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” Psalm 61:1-3
And I breathed while I prayed.
So the following morning, though still nervous, I shakily and buoyed by many prayers, decided to do the day step by step, meeting by meeting. My first step was breakfast. I got a ride to the castle from my room and made it to breakfast and nibbled a bit. Can I get to the keynote address at 9? I drank a lot of water, and said, yes, I can do that.
I arrived in the Great Room (took the elevator) and found a back seat near the exit…anxious introvert strategy number one. The keynote speaker was the wife of the gentleman that encouraged me the night before.
Her first words, which I quickly wrote in my journal and will write on my white board: “You are afraid, you will get over it.”
Thank you, Lord. That first hour and her wonderful address flew by. Next step was the first session. I made it down to the Carriage House, and attended the morning session. Yay! So excited was I that I wanted to talk to the speaker, and he said, “Join me at lunch.” As we walked toward the long staircase back up to the castle where lunch was being served, I demurred, “Uhm, I think I’ll have lunch down here at the cafe.” Which I did and was refreshed and attended the afternoon session successfully. I made it to a book signing and the evening address as well, even though I was still nervous.
The next day was the same…step by step, breakfast, keynote, morning session, lunch and afternoon session. I did it, I made it. Thanks to God and many prayers by many people, especially Sandy. We ubered to Denver that afternoon and caught the morning Zephyr back to California. Phew! It wasn’t until about two hours out of Denver did I begin to feel normal again.
“You are afraid, you will get over it.” will be my mantra for this final lap of life. I am afraid of the future. My kids are grown and doing their own thing. I am alone. I am older and my health scares me. I want to go on my World Tour, but certainly don’t want to deal with altitude sickness again. So maybe I’ll modify my World Tour to the Sea Level Edition…or just My European Tour with a minor in Quick Cruise of Asia.
Even though I am afraid, I trust I will get over it. Not only because Lancia E. Smith said so, but because the Scriptures assure me – assure us – hundreds of times over, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“Truly He is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Fortress, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 62:6
Although I didn’t have the ideal writers’ conference experience like I imagined, I did have some good conversations and even met an author on the train home. And when I look back and remember the vast and breathtaking “rocky” beauty of Colorado, (now I know why they call them the Rockies), I will remember the Rock Who is higher than I, Who saved me and helped me not to be afraid.
Donna and Sandy
Glen Eyrie
“The wolf (lion from older trans.) also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together;
And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
– Isaiah 11:6-9