Little Fears
We all have them. Some perish with youth. Others flourish lifelong. Most are personal arch demons that wield no power over others we know. For each of us though, these psychic scars carry the weight of the world. Sometimes of other worlds too.
The basement of my youth was furnished but unfinished. Poured cement walls and floor encased a cavernous space supported by three steel posts. I spent a great deal of time within that stone lair, and each return to the house proper was a race for my life.
Twelve steps, finished with a railing. Not even the kind you could see (or reach!) through. I took them three and four at a time as I aged. I would often hit them running and flip the light switches off mid-stride. Then I would smack the stair switch off as I snaked through and closed the door with swift assuredness. I attribute some of my athletic ability to the training on those stairs. Whatever emerged into the darkness behind me helped to forge me into who I am.
I like the darkness today. I have come to terms with it, on my terms.
The same cannot be said for shower drains. I do not like standing on them. I do not like touching them. I can. My adult self rationally destroys whatever menace lurks in the drain, waiting to burrow into my foot. But the emotional attachment remains. The outdoor shower we installed sits atop pervious concrete with a french drain beneath. No actual drain. Is it any wonder?
Fear is a potent organism that can carve out personalities along the paths of song or shadow. Know your fears. Understand them. Even learn from them as you may. The important bit is, don’t let them control you. The path you choose is always yours.
So, what little fears still walk the corridors of your mind?