I think that you have summed up an experience / set of experiences that many if not all of us have gone through as we have matured. There is a great deal of signifigance when the "switch" has been thrown and we are no longer 'afraid' of that in which we do not know.
You have done a great job putting this into writing, in a way that paints a surreal picture in my mind.
Many thanks, this will be on my mind for quite a while.
-SF