FEAR

 

FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. Fear can distort...what you see or feel while afraid is quite possibly a twisted truth. The story I'm going to tell you has to do with fear and my actions and assessments based on my perceptions at the time I was experiencing this dreadful lesson. 

 

In 1997, I bought an old field stone house. It was lake front and had a beautiful stone wall that the waves would break upon. It was everything I wanted...it had been vacant for five years and some of the locals, squirrels and mice in particular, had moved in and were living quite comfortably. The few friends I had shown the house to before actually buying it all asked the same question, "Are you sure you want to buy THIS house?" In my heart, I had already moved in and no one was going to talk me out of it.

 

I moved in with two Maine Coon cats, Nettie and Hattie, and there were many active nights of hunting, but eventually things settled down and it was me and the "girls". One morning I got up and noticed that the "girls" were not in bed with me...so I called out, "Hattie, Nettie, hey girly girls"...nothing. I went down the stairs; came around the corner and there they were under the dining room table staring at something. Now...anyone who really knows me knows that I always have stacks of books on the floor, on the table and on the counters. I couldn't see what was of such great interest. As I walked towards them, I asked, "Whatcha looking at?"

 

Whoa!!!! I must have jumped back ten feet. It was a snake! I'm scared of snakes! FEAR GRIPPED EVERY MUSCLE IN MY BODY AND MY BRAIN WENT NUMB.

There were three things at that moment that I absolutely know for sure:

1. It was about three feet long.

2. It was poisonous.

3. I had to do something...NOW!

 

The first thing I did was open the door to the deck that was lakefront. Then, I ran into the kitchen. I got kitchen tongs...it was the only think I could think of to use so I wouldn't have to touch the snake. Now...I only had one chance! Using the tongs, I got hold of the snake right behind it's head. AWWWWW! It was twisting and whipping it's body all over the place as I ran for the door. I brought the tongs back and flung the snake out into the lake. Every inch of my body was shaking. (DEEP BREATH.) IT WAS OVER!!

 

I walked over to the couch and plopped down...put my head in my hands and cried...but these were tears of courage and joy! I had faced my fear and was able to do what was necessary - get the snake out of the house. After a while the tears stopped. I sat back with my head resting on the back cushion looking up at the ceiling and thought, "What just happened here?" The reality of the situation (now that it was over) was...most of what I saw was distorted. It was a snake...that was true for sure. It wasn't three feet long, it was probably twelve inches; never the less...still frightening. It wasn't poisonous, it probably didn't want to be in the lake where I threw it. The only part that wasn't distorted was the fragment that I had to do something now. As I was sitting there assessing...another fear thought gripped my mind...at about twelve inches, it could be quite possible that it was a baby...sometime snakes have lots of babies. I could feel the fear starting to build within me. I'll call my friend, Jan, she has snakes for pets. I dialed, she answered..."Jan", I explained what happened..."What are the chances of more snakes being in my house?" "Well, some snakes have hundreds of live babies" she said casually. "I'd check the basement first. There's probably a crack in the stone foundation". There was a long moment of silence. "Jan, would you come over and check out the basement...please?" So, Jan came over and checked out the basement for me. After what seemed to be forever, she came upstairs and declared the basement free of snakes.

 

My whole perception was very compromised during my assessment and action of the snake drama. Because my total self was gripped with fear...most everything associated with my decision making process was definitely twisted.

 

I've taken a couple of "nuggets" from my experience...when fear (false evidence appearing real) grips you:

1. Take a deep breath.

2. Take another deep breath.

3. When you can't find your cats...they have probably cornered a snake.

and....

4. A quote from Pat Paulson that helps to put everything into perspective: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself...and quite possibly the bogeyman".

 

So...where's the "snake" in your life?"

And...what are you going to do to face "it" and throw "it" into the lake?

 

Make it a great one!