I learn more every time I go paddling. I've talked to boaters who've been paddling down some intense rivers for 20 plus years, and they tell me that they're still learning. I know that one day I'll look back at this. I'll look back at what I wrote, and I'll laugh at how nervous I felt the day before I ran the Lower Yough at 5 feet. Some other river, or circumstance will bring out the fear factor again.
Some people say that it's all relative.
Fear is something that everybody has, and if they say they never feel it, then I don't think they're really telling the whole truth. Sometimes, it's the fear that brings out the best in a person. They make you a better person somebody once told me. I don't know if I'm a better person for it, but I do know that it makes me want to be a better kayaker. It'll change your life, boatin' will.