Can you believe that it is the middle of June? The Fourth of July is just around the corner, and then school will be starting in August. Where does the time go? The days all run together when you are retired. Most of us don’t have a set schedule. We ask for a one o’clock appointment. In the meantime, one needs to be busy or in a stage contentment. I enjoy doing a bit of writing!
I wasn’t sure what to write about this week, so I decided on the subject of FEAR!!!
One definition, as fear being used as a verb, is being afraid of what is to come or something in particular. I believe fear is a learned emotion. Perhaps it is a seed planted within us when we are born, and we can choose how the seed is developed.
Our fears are developed by various influences in our life such as family members, the various sources of media, friends, school, and the list goes on!
When I was about eight years old, I remember being in the backseat of the family car, going to grandma’s, looking out the window, and hearing on the car radio that the world was supposed to come to an end the next day. This was very scary for an eight year old who had never heard of such a thing.
When the next day arrived, we still had our world. The threat would stay engrained in me for a very, very long time! If I would have known then that God is in control of the destiny of the world and not humans, perhaps I would have just laughed about the silly prediction.
Swimming was always a fun summer sport at the local YMCA’s city beach. My mom made sure we signed up for swim lessons, and I am grateful for that. There was a fence that separated the “baby pool” from the main swimming area in the river. I remember stepping off a ledge in the bottom of the main swimming area and going under. I kept trying to hold onto another kid (who I did not know), but he kept pushing me away. Finally, I got my footing; but the fear of that moment and the water would stay with me for a very, very long time. As long as I am in a pool and can see the bottom, I am fine. Put me in a river, lake, or the ocean, and I can feel very anxious because I cannot see the bottom. Water activities are not my favorite sports!
Swimming lessons were given at our local college. They had a large pool and several levels of diving boards. I decided to try the high diving board, and just jump. I climbed up to the top, looked down, and started to cry. Too far down, would I hit the bottom and drown? I got down, and never tried the high dive again. Fear!
My late husband and I were flying to Europe one summer. He had to make plane reservations and used PanAm Airlines (like he always did). A few months before he decided to make the reservations, a PanAm flight had crashed in Scotland, and all were killed. The ironic thing about this crash was we knew a husband, wife, and two children that were on the flight. We used to work with them both at our place of employment. My fear kept me from flying that airline, and we ended up going on a different one. I felt better and safer. Silly isn’t it?
Driving in a big city can be quite the challenge — especially, before the days of GPS. Growing up in a very small town, my dad would avoid the “big city driving”. He would manage to go around them. This fear was instilled in me. When my late husband and I traveled, he would drive through the cities. This gave me courage, as I am now living in Atlanta. The traffic is horrendous. There are others my age driving here, so I can do it too!
My late husband and I drove from Brussels to Paris. Traffic was unbelievable! Motorcycles were weaving in and out of traffic, cars were bumper to bumper. Too much to take. Fear overtook me and I went to sleep. I knew I would become frantic and drive my husband a bit crazy. There is no brake pedal on the passenger’s side of the car.
The above are just a few of my fears. The key to overcoming fear is having faith in God above. He will take care of you. Give the fear to God, and don’t take it back. Talk about what scares you. Sometimes one just needs a bit of reassurance that all will be fine. One can stay in your home and hide, or get out and explore this beautiful world.
Blessings from The Blogging Grandma