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My Take

Fear

Mark McGee
Posted 10/15/22

Fear. One of the scariest words I know.  

With Halloween this month fear is on our minds more than usual. We’re fearful of the dark. We’re fearful of what may be in our attic. …

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My Take

Fear

Posted

Fear. One of the scariest words I know.  

With Halloween this month fear is on our minds more than usual. We’re fearful of the dark. We’re fearful of what may be in our attic. We’re fearful of the unknown.  

But fear is far more debilitating than simply being worried about the possibility of hearing something go bump in the night. I hear the word so much more in everyday conversations with people.  

Most of those conversations center around COVID-19, but flu and other diseases also are cited as reasons why some people choose to stay locked in their homes. Some people have health issues that could make a COVID-19 or flu diagnosis a serious proposition. Studies show some people are going to wear a mask out in public for the rest of their lives.  

I have several health issues and I have survived COVID-19. I may get it again. It could be worse, but I am not going to let it stop me from living.  

What you do is up to you, and I would never encourage anyone to take a chance with their health.  

With crime increasing at an exponential rate many fear going out on the streets for anything or any reason. News of shootings and stabbings on TV feed on those fears.  

Yet people are shot sitting in their homes due to stray bullets. Airplanes crash into houses without warnings. Vehicles collide with homes often killing or injuring those inside. 

Let’s face it. The world is a dangerous place. But do we have to be fearful every hour and every day of our lives?  

Some people have a fear of flying even though airplanes are the safest way to travel. Some people have a reluctance to drive in a “big” city because they might get lost in a bad neighborhood, so they don’t take advantage of what those places have to offer.  

Fear limits us.  

We think of five reasons why something won’t work instead of five reasons why it can. We pass up opportunities for new careers or advancement in the career we have chosen because we don’t think we can do the job.  

The late, great tennis star Arthur Ashe was once quoted as saying, “Fear isn’t an excuse to come to a standstill. It is the impetus to step up and strike.”  

These weren’t idle words from him. Ashe dealt with the pressures of being an African American pro tennis player. Late in life he would become HIV positive due to a blood transfusion during a heart procedure and would eventually die from AIDS.  

Fear is a four-letter word. Like other four-letter words we need to quit saying it.  

Take that new job. Accept that new assignment or promotion. Take that special trip.  

Life is full of dangers and challenges. But as Ashe said embrace them and always be moving forward.