What is it we are afraid of?

[catjac1975]

I don't think you need to fear anything. Every bad thing has already happened to you.

At the risk of sounding arrogant, there's nothing I'm afraid of for myself. I've been through miscarriages, divorce, 2 cancers, major abdominal surgery, an assault, car accident, tornado, major earthquakes, fire, floods, hurricane force winds, and once getting really really lost somewhere between the I5 and 101 in California.

The only fears I have are for my family, and if anybody touches a hair on their heads, they will have this very strong, determined, straight-shooting granny to answer to.

(Oh, and I'm a little bit afraid of those big black and yellow garden spiders, even tho I know they are not to be feared.)

 

[897tgigvib]

I'm a veteran of the U.S. army, bandsman yes, but I did basic training, and for a year I lived at the DMZ of Korea. We learned to know what to fear, and to set them aside, but to know the dangers. I learned to dislike the gas room they put us through!


If ya don't have at least some fear of a danger, you could well be in more danger than needed. Using a table saw for instance. That gives a fine example of that line between respect and fear. Don't use that saw until you know how from watching and assisting someone who already knows. Then you know the danger, you know how to use it, and you can respect the danger instead of fearing the danger.

No, I don't think about fear very often. Actually, I was just on my porch surrounded by wasps buzzing me, reading Wired Magazine. Didja know the first roller coaster was made at Catherine the Great's beck and call? First it was on ice sleds, then someone had the idea of adding wheels when the snow and ice melted. 33 years later in France they made the first one with the axles attached to rails, and then they made the first loop de loop on a roller coaster. Read that while Wasps buzzed all around me. Those wasps aren't taking my porch from me!

Lol!!!

 

[journey11]

Marshall, I wrote 5 or 6 paragraphs, you know how I am . . .

Then, I deleted them all in favor of just a question mark .

Right now, I am a little afraid to say much since this could go the way everyone wants and that would be FINE with me. This morning, I was just distressing over the amount of fear that some folks have in their life and the behavior that seems to be the result from that fear.

Steve

Like being so afraid of wasps and anaphyllactic shock that you don't go outside for a whole month of summer, except at night when the wasps are sleeping?

No, I'm not really that afraid of them, but when it first happened, I had to make myself go out and not run screaming and flailing my arms like an idiot. What would the neighbors think? LOL

But no, seriously, although I haven't been through a fraction of what nittygrittydirtdigger has been through, I feel a lot the same way...most of my fears are for the ones I love. And not being able to do any more to protect them. I admit I struggle with that a lot and need to put it in God's hands and leave it there.
I do a lot of nagging. Nagging is my way of showing love. I'm a buckle-up, wear your crash helmet, don't-be-doing-stupid-stuff kinda gal. Which is ironic now given the history of stupid stuff I did when I was younger. Oh, the number of times I nearly could have hurt myself, gotten myself killed or been inspiration for an episode of CSI. When you think about it, if the worst happens to you, there's no more worrying about it. Most of those things happen in a heartbeat without any warning, so what's the use in dwelling on them, anticipating the worst? But if it happens to your loved ones, you're left to live with it. Although I have little experience base for that at my current stage of life, I am encouraged by the strength shown by others I know and I trust that there will be grace for those times. So I'm not gonna dwell on those fears. It just robs me of today.

 

[Carol Dee]

Nagging is my way of showing love.[/i] I'm a buckle-up, wear your crash helmet, don't-be-doing-stupid-stuff kinda gal. Which is ironic now given the history of stupid stuff I did when I was younger. Oh, the number of times I nearly could have hurt myself, gotten myself killed or been inspiration for an episode of CSI. When you think about it, if the worst happens to you, there's no more worrying about it. Most of those things happen in a heartbeat without any warning, so what's the use in dwelling on them, anticipating the worst? But if it happens to your loved ones, you're left to live with it. Although I have little experience base for that at my current stage of life, I am encouraged by the strength shown by others I know and I trust that there will be grace for those times. So I'm not gonna dwell on those fears. It just robs me of today.

Journey said it better than I could have! My Brother always told Mom the family worry-wart that if you worry and nothing happens, your worried for nothing. If you worry and it happens anyway, you worrying did no good!

Better to Let Go and Let God. Still I tend to worry about money, health, family , etc... *sigh*

 

[digitS']

. . . and once getting really really lost somewhere between the I5 and 101 in California. . .

I used to live between I5 and 101! No, I wouldn't want fears to rob me of the day - today, yesterday or tomorrow!

Marshall, just last week I had a guy show me his hand after he'd finally been able to take the bandage off following a table saw accident. Yikes! He has lost the use of a finger . . . following the miracle of reattachment.

Yeah, power tools, vehicles, the military . . . what's the advantage in reckless behavior?

Steve

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

Now, folks, it wasn't all bad. I have a great marriage, wonderful kids and family, a mellow little almost-3-acres, and my health. Cancer-free for over 20 years. I'm 59, so there was bound to be a few weird things along the way. I didn't even mention the time I took a loaded weapon away from a drunk. (Hey, it was the 70s and I was a street counselor.)

Looks like our fears are not all that big. We've all conquered the worst of them.

 

[AdamBorzy]

:tools I think I have to take off my hat in front of you all while talking because with
everything that you've all gone through with life I have a long way to go

Seriously, glad didnt have any close encounters with the 2nd and 3rd from
the 1st three things Ive mentioned
and finger-crossed doesnt want China-Japan conflict will spark world war 3

I dont have any life threatening situations to share but hey,
Im not afraid to jump this high...

 

[897tgigvib]

Last January one of my bosses nearly cut his thumb off using his cutoff saw. He has 99% use of it now, says it's sometimes stiff.

Back in 1999 I was driving back to Montana after visiting some friends down in southern California. I was taking a "shortcut" between highway 5 and highway 101 when my car died, for good. The Control Arm gave out and the right front wheel splayed outward. I was able to scrape along the road to the shoulder. Nary a vehicle in sight. Had my atlas and a liter of Coca Cola. I sat and studied the directions, and took a hike through the desert, for what I thought would be 11 miles. It was 19 miles. It was June 6th, 105 degrees in the shade, and no shade unless you were a mouse. I had to go dead straight, or I'd miss some place called something pass. I'd passed a sign that said high asbestos hazard area. I never did call myself lost. I watched my trail behind me to make sure I stayed arrow straight. Came to some places with lots of Joshua trees. I made it, and there was actually a motel there. Pacheco? There is something special about a desert, and something special about that area between 101 and 5! I was close to heat stroke, and I took a looooong cold bath! Also drank a whole bunch of juice and sobes! Then the next day, a hundred dollar taxi ride to Fresno for a bus home.

Nope, not afraid of a desert, but maaann, I do not recommend a forced march through one!

 

[digitS']

See, I wouldn't even have expected for Marshall to have a "crossing the desert" story between I5 & 101. I thought Nitty would also be talking about way up norte. You know, in Bigfoots' mountains.

I've been in that area a little, trying to peel away the mystery of Onion Lake and being in a peck, looking for which way to Weitchpec.

Then, Hoopa! I've found it !

Steve

 

[nittygrittydirtdigger]

Oh, my little Lost story can't hold a candle to Marshall's hair raising experience! I was in a car. With a companion. And snacks. Including WATER. We drove around logging roads and ruts for a few hours in an ever-greater state of irritation and frustration, nothing like a forced march across the desert!

Marshall! Don't ever do that again!