The Bravest Bananas in History
A Story about defeating Social Anxiety and overcoming Fear.
– We’re going to take a banana for walk.
“No-no-no, not likely, no.” – He says, fully convinced
– Oh, You’ll see.
“Maybe, but no, probably not gonna do it.” – Sanity keeps him in chains.
This conversation went on for over 50 minutes.
What kind of retard would put a banana on a string and drag it behind him on the street? – The question remains.
The best kind. And we’re giving them names.
His confusion culminates.
There was one thing left in my sleeve, however, timing was key.
At first, I introduced him to some of my Stories. The second he gets a taste, he’ll give in.
“Easy-peasy,” the confidence in my plan peaked.
After seeing a few of them, he was amazed.
Hearing a CEO praise your work is something that sticks. Now it was time to deliver the speech:
– If you ever find yourself in a situation when you have to tell a tale, this is the kind of story people will listen to with wide eyes and open ears.
Breaks the ice and wins the crowd, everywhere and always. Let it be reunions, dates, chilling with friends or cocktail parties.
You’ll go home with an experience of a Lifetime, and that’s something no one can take away.
“Hmm, maybe, but don’t put your hopes too high, I don’t think I’ll do it” – He drives me insane
But by then, I knew it. “I don’t think” was more than enough for me. The spark was there, it just needed a little wind.
“I might just walk behind you for a bit, for like 5 minutes, and then see how it goes from the reactions; but if I feel embarrassed, just don’t force me.“
We were getting there, bit by bit.
At this point it was around 2am, and we needed some rest for the Big Event.
Before he walked out of the room, I turned around and asked him:
– If you had to give a name for a banana, what would it be?
“Toby“
– Toby is perfect.
Then we went to sleep.
August 20, 2019 – 9:50
I woke him up with this:
– The gods have spoken; and a picture next to it:
“Do one thing every day that scares you”
The quote couldn’t be more accurate.
Life has its tricks to show us the way. There is a great prize for those who dare to follow it.
– So, did you sleep well?
“Oh fuck, you have no idea. I was stressing out“
– Over the walk?
“Yea“
That was it.
He was going to do it.
If he spent the night thinking about it – over and over, until he couldn’t sleep; that meant serious contemplating.
Yet, no wise man celebrates victory too early.
It was August 20th, the birth anniversary of Hungary.
The highlight of today was a Firework show in the evening. Right above the Danube, between our most beautiful bridges. That’s what we wanted to see, so we decided to explore Budapest quite early. The show started at 20:00, but we were in the center at 12:00 already. 8 hours was more than enough for sightseeing
By the time it dawned on us, it was too late.
The whole City was under a spell, and we couldn’t find a fucking banana anywhere. Not a single store was open.
– No-no-no-no, this isn’t the time to give in.
We walked around the center to see if there is anyone who could share a banana – no one did.
– The Great market! It has to be open in the morning!
We went there for the 3rd time this week, it was closed because of the holiday.
Despair started to kick in, producing quality ideas to begin with:
– Ask strangers if they have any bananas at home; which we would buy for 500 HUF (~ 1,5€) apiece.
– Go to a Restaurant and say the same.
– Ring the doorbells of random apartments to see if they have a banana to spare.
But before we could do them, we saw a sign: “Open 24/7”
It was a grocery store on the other side of the street. We were saved.
5 minutes later we had everything.
Now we were ready to explore the beauties of our City.
The hardest part of the day was behind our back, and the fun part could finally begin. Our first stop was at Gellért Hill, which had trails towards the Citadel; the very top of our municipality. There, you can get a clear view of the entire place.
Something like this:
Of course, the road was long and the heat didn’t help with the climbing.
35 degrees, minder of meer1.
“One of the hottest days of the year” – said the weather forecast the previous evening.
At around 1/3 of the trip we saw a horse statue with a stone man next to it.
– Could you take a pic? It’s gonna be fun, trust me.
That’s what I say every time before doing something illegal or stupid.
Before he could finish the “I don’t think you can climb up th-” I was already on my way, holding my mask in a tight grip.
That’s my signature move: climbing up to places with a Unicorn mask while I’m traveling.
Consider it the male version of a lipstick – it looks great even on a daily basis, but the occasion is what makes it look amazing.
The police may not always agree, tuurlijk2, but as long as there is no sign telling you “Don’t do it”, you’re free to go, whenever you feel like it.
After surviving the hottest climb in the History, we sat down to enjoy the top view for a bit, then the time has come to raise the stakes.
– When we go down, we’ll do it.
“I don’t think so, but we’ll see“
The bananas were sitting in the bag, eagerly waiting to take their walk of fame.
At the bottom of the hill, I asked him to stop for a minute and sit on the grass with me. The ingredients were ready: Strong ropes, 2 bananas, some courage and a marker to forever glorify these brave fruits for fighting against the rough concrete.
“What are you doing?“
– You’ll see.
He took a sip from his flask, pretending not to see what’s happening, as his crazy friend scribbles names on two curvy yellow sticks.
When I finished painting, I couldn’t stop smiling.
The amount of joy that comes from doing such things is certainly something that needs sharing.
I tied the ropes and handed him his piece.
This is how they looked before their grand journey:
Mesmerizing, just as I promised.
The duo was ready to take over the City.
– Alright, let’s do it.
“I’ll see how you do it for a few minutes, then I’ll think about it“
He wasn’t an easy case, but I get it.
No sane person confuses a pet with a fruit, especially not in public.
Can you imagine seeing someone walking with a banana at its heels?
Probably, but not really. That’s why it’s fun to do it – so here came the speech:
– When you’ll be an elderly dude with grand kids begging for a cool story, what are you going to say? That you saw a few buildings, ate some soup and went back to your country? That would be a waste. The second you put it down on the ground and start to walk with it, everything fades away. The anxiety, the fear – you won’t care about what people think. What will be great, on the other hand, is the fact that You did it. Do you know how many people did this in our entire History? Not many, trust me. And you could be one of these individuals who took a fruit for a journey. It’s gonna be an all-time favorite memory; whenever you find yourself in a place where people demand a story, this is a joker card that always wins.
So…Ready?“
“I’ll just walk behind you for a few minutes, see how people react, and then I might do it“
He didn’t even flinch. None of those words had any effect on him.
But you know me: Never give up, especially not when it comes to people or making memories.
The whole day was ahead of us, and all I needed is the right moment to show him how funny it is.
– Okay, I’m gonna walk into the crowd with it. Look how people react, there is no reason to be afraid.
It went smoothly, it was my 3rd time already. I left my sanity somewhere in 2018, haven’t seen it ever since. As I pulled Bobo behind me, people started to notice it.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAH” – Some people started shouting
Others just gave weird looks, some wondered: “What the hell is this guy doing?“
My job, you silly. Showing the World that being yourself doesn’t cost anything.
When we left the busy street, it was time to strike again and ask him:
– Can you see? It’s completely fine, people have fun seeing it.
“Yea, they seemed to smile or laugh at it“
– How about you try it for just two minutes?
It was a now or never moment, I felt it.
– Just put it down and see how it feels, all the fear will disappear the second you do it, I promise.
And then, for the first time in History, the Englishman decided to put Toby on the ground and walk with it.
The level of greatness he did it with cannot be described in any language.
It took him 5 seconds to realize that there is no harm in doing it, not a tiny bit. No embarrassment, guilt or shame.
“I can actually feel my balls growing“
Those were his first words to eloquently describe the experience he is having.
Now there were two dudes roaming the streets, dragging their bananas: Bobo and Toby.
He was the first person I knew who dared to do it.
His courage was bigger than his fears, and he faced the challenge against all the (seemingly) possible calamities.
We had to capture this memory as a testament of his bravery.
Here they are, the bananas who took a Journey many of their fruit-friends can only have in their dreams.
Before we would quit, a man approached me with a broad smile to ask if Bobo can bite him.
I shook my head, pretending not to understand Hungarian.
At this very moment, he decided to go down in a squat and give a few strokes to my pet banana.
With a satisfied face, he stood up and walked away.
There is always one person out of a 1000 who pets it.
Not to mention, he was in his 40s.
The inner child never dies, only if you let it.
When our journey was finished and he had enough of carrying Toby like a lunatic, their grave became a trash can on the street:
Rest in Peace.
After winning the mental warfare against our dignity, it was time to celebrate. Our path led to a famous part of the city: Buda Castle.
A place rich in Art and History.
At this time of the year, there was a special event around the entire building.
“Traditional Professions Festival” – They called it
They couldn’t come up with anything more boring, probably.
Since that was our only way in, we had to pay for the tickets and suffer our way through the slow crowd and dull arts of poverty.
Watching the paint dry is 10 times more exciting.
Yet, eventually we got on the top and it turned out to be completely worth it.
The view was astonishing, the workshops were interesting and shades were many.
Remember, it’s still 36 degrees and we’ve been walking all day.
But this, gentlemen, is a view worth seeing:
Seeing the entire city as the sun is descending is as marvelous as it possible can be. We took our time to look around and check everything. It was certainly one of the most magical places of our Country.
The Danube, the Parliament, our bridges. All of these in one frame.
We even stumbled upon a special shop, selling handmade masks of the Devil.
It’s a tradition in our country, to say goodbye to winter and welcome spring.
People dance and wear things like this:
It’s something we all dream about having as kids.
You know well what happens with dreams. They end up on the Bucket list:
#156 Have a Traditional Busómaszk from my home Country.
When we explored everything, it was time to leave.
At the top of the Castle you can find a funicular, which takes people up and down. It saved us 40 minutes of walking, not even mentioning the excess heat. At the bottom, we fought our way through the crowd of grannies and went for our last beauty before the Finálé:
Halászbástya, a building hidden in the heart of the City.
This day is full of things that I’ve never seen, even though I’ve lived here for more than two decades. Luckily, the best part was yet to come in our way.
Before the sun would set entirely, we took one last glimpse at the Parliament:
The police forces started to amass there, preparing for the greatest event of the year.
Our Country was born today, and the celebration is going to peak at 8 in the evening.
Tens of thousands of people came from all over the country, just to witness some gunpowder explode and spread into flashy, colorful pieces of flame.
All that’s left is a heerlijk3 dinner to put the cherry on the cake, right before we get to see the Finálé. After wandering all day in this heat, the stomach demanded something great – so we carefully picked a nice pizza place.
The second we looked at the prices it became clear:
Tourism is expensive – even in an Eastern Country like Hungary.
Either our wallets would ache, or our bellies.
The latter won the race.
Not long before the Fireworks would start shooting, we received a plate with the most expensive pizza I’ve ever seen.
At 19:50 we finished, expressed our gratitude for the service and left to score a spot before the show begins
The crowd that filled the streets was insane.
On both sides of the river the mass built up like an ant colony – taking over a garden after 5 years of breeding.
When the music turned on, the whole city went silent the second it hit their ears.
It was dark, pleasantly warm and exciting.
Everyone stood there, listening to our greatest hits – praying for the nation and immersing in this day of unity.
The first rocket flew up towards the world’s ceiling, shattered into a thousand pieces of white spark and flame. Many followed, as we stood there silently.
People couldn’t take their eyes off the sky, as the shining lights filled their hearts with great delight. It was pure art, as the music led the rhythm of the night – and sent the bombs into the clouds.
When the first round was over, a wave of applause shook the ground.
There was nothing but smoke in the sky, yet the fireworks kept doing their job: Lighting their way up until they die.
While my Camera was hanging on my right, I knew that the only moment worth capturing was the El momento Final.
That was the last film in the Polaroid – I couldn’t miss it.
But I did, because I decided to watch it instead of taking pictures for this story.
The present moment shouldn’t be sacrificed.
Nor for the Future, neither for the Past.
So the proof became Digital – but the Memory is not:
“Twee vogel met één klap“4 – The Dutch would say that.
Scoring two items from my Bucket List under a Day.
It’s crazy how I’ve lived there for 2 decades and still managed to miss it.
Luckily, the first times are the ones you never forget.
When the show was over, leaving turned out to be the hardest thing.
I wish you would’ve seen the mass trying to dissolve in the city.
Everyone was taking baby steps, no more than 3 every minute.
My parents were already pissed – the buses weren’t coming, the metro was filled. They parked 27 minutes of walk away – and we had to hurry.
It took 42 minutes. Public transport, obviously.
When we finally got the chance to sit in the car and chill a bit, Google came up with the statistics:
We’ve walked 30 kilometers today – Or 19 miles, if that’s how you measure it.
Right after we got home he asked me to open a new tab on my laptop.
When it popped, he pointed at the quote on the bottom.
“It’s done”
He fought a battle and came out victorious.
Most of us would fall because of our pride or ego – but he didn’t let those take control.
We’ve discovered Pest, took a banana for a walk together and witnessed the greatest celebration of our entire nation.
This Story was meant to show you that Life isn’t just about Friday nights, office hours or birthday parties. There is so much more to experience and see, this is just another page in the Book of “What happens when you follow your dreams.”
I wish we could share our feelings, just like we do with pictures we find interesting. I wish I could show you how it feels like to believe – that your Dreams are possible, regardless of what people say.
What I can do, on the other hand, is write about moments like these.
Just so you know that there is a way, and you too, can find it.
This day was something that’ll remain in our memories for many more decades, and hopefully we’ll carry them all the way to our graves.
That’s what dreams do. They keep you Alive, even if you don’t know how to Live. Don’t let them slip away – chase them.
The second you do that, Life changes – and you’ll never regret that.
“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it
– Seneca
is because we do not dare that they are difficult.”
Take care,
Erik
20.08.2019 – Day 211
To those who managed to read it, here is a little gift of appreciation:
*How it feels like taking a banana for a walk*
[Dutch Dictionary]
Minder of meer 1 – More or less
Tuurlijk 2 – Of course
Heerlijk 3 – Delicious
Twee vogel met één klap 4 – Two bird with one blow
Road to a New Life 
Pingback: A Life Worth Living – How to Dream Yourself out of Misery | Road to a New Life
Pingback: The Journey | Road to a New Life
Seize the day! Just do it! No dream is impossible but be prepared for the unexpected. Trust yourself in the process and be true to yourself. Enjoy
the ride/journey.
LikeLike
Pingback: Lord of the Drinks | Road to a New Life
Pingback: TED Talk – Here I Come | Road to a New Life
Pingback: Dogs, Sunrise, Friends | Road to a New Life
Pingback: Golden Ticket | Road to a New Life
Pingback: Friendly Fruits | Road to a New Life