by John Macdonald | Mar 7, 2023 | The250
If you can’t do it yourself, get some help. Twice in my life, I “overcame” a fear of heights with help from others. And by help, I mean physical help. A push, to be exact. During a summer semester at Penn State, my friends and I liked to go to the... by John Macdonald | Mar 6, 2023 | The250
The Ben Franklin Bridge became my Mt. Everest. I spent three years running around center city Philly at lunchtime. Starting at the gym at 15th and Arch, I could explore the Rocky movie sites, historic district, Penn’s landing, University City, the sports... by John Macdonald | Mar 5, 2023 | The250
Lighthouses — cool structures, romanticized nostalgia, and a wealth of symbolism. Some of my earliest and fondest memories from childhood are of the Hatteras lighthouse on the outer banks of North Carolina. And over the years, I’ve... by John Macdonald | Mar 4, 2023 | The250
November 18, 2011 at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall about an hour north of Beijing. How was I supposed to know that to stand on that wall required a windy traverse over what certainly was a bottomless chasm on an old rusty ski lift? That part... by John Macdonald | Mar 3, 2023 | The250
Many of us have them. Irrational fears — spiders, snakes, needles, public speaking, the dentist, whatever. Various estimates put the number of people in the US with phobias from 20% to 25%. Mine is heights, and I share acrophobia with about... by John Macdonald | Mar 2, 2023 | The250
I’m alone in the dungeon, but I make it to the locker room door. Shit! It’s closed and locked. My key’s down by the pool. This door is always locked. We’re in center city. Stuff happens. Just as I’m about to wheel around and head back to...