When I was a little girl I was afraid of everything. Trains, lima beans, playground equipment. My second grade teacher sent home a note to my parents saying I was riddled with anxieties. Gee, y’think? In their effort to protect me from the big, bad, scary, world my parents made me afraid of most of it. If you never get the chance to skin your knee you won’t learn that you’ll survive it.
Just for the record? I’m still not wild about spiders, bees, bridges, and certain vegetables, but they don’t terrorize me. I know from experience I can survive the bite/sting/crossing/swallowing. I’ve wrestled with those rascals and lived to tell about it.
There was a time I used to live in fear of losing my Dad, my husband, my job. But once you’ve faced them -- lost the parent, survived the breakup, bombed the interview, lost a job or struggled to find one -- you realize these events are survivable and their power is diminished. Less and less frightens me now. I’ve earned my merit badge in resilience. As I result, I’ve become a good “try-er”.
I’m not saying I’m ready to bungee jump, zipline, or parasail just yet, but I haven’t ruled them out either. I haven’t attained daredevil status but I am decidedly curious and willing. I embrace new now. In fact, as time goes on my threshold for “same old, same old” has worn so thin I become downright cranky with status quo.
I am struck by how little time we have on this sphere and how much I haven’t seen or done and I want to explore as much of it as I can, while I can. This is no time to sit back and watch. Sports legend Jackie Robinson said it best: “Life is not a spectator sport.” Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go find a jungle gym to climb.
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Have a great week, BHW! Hope everyone finds one new thing to try this week, one fear to conquer, one beauty to behold. e
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