Every day, three
times a day in fact, I can be found walking our furry family member on a set
route around Stony Plain. With each one
of these walks I have to pass a fenced yard that has a dog the size of a pony
laying and waiting for unsuspected victims. This fence is a tall solid wood one that does not allow a view into or
out of the yard, unless of course you are willing to jump and balance on the top rail,
which is exactly what this pony sized dog does.
Each day as I approach the yard I imagine what lingers behind it, my
heart races and my stomach turns to mush. I cautiously and as quietly as possible
try to sneak by all the time waiting for the beast to make his leap off the
deck to teeter on the top of the fence with a throaty bark that makes me think
he’s coming for my jugular. The
knowledge that this property is coming up actually has the power to ruin the
peace and tranquility a walk usually gives me, kind of like the jack in the box
toy that some demented inventor thought would be a good idea for small children.
The unknown of whether he’ll be out or won’t prevents me from not only wanting
to go by the yard itself, but in some ways destroying my journey right from the
start. The simple answer would be to cross the street and watch him launch at
the fence from a safe distance away or to take a different much safer route,
however, should I allow fear to keep me from the path I have chosen?
I admit to
watching and waiting, from the other side of the street of course, as the unsuspecting
group of tough teenage boys get surprised and scream like little girls. Yes it’s a good chuckle but at the same time I
admire their ability to laugh and learn from it, either by walking on the other
side of the street or as boys have a tendency to do, dare one another to see how
fast they can run by the next time. Unfortunately,
as we get older we get more cautious. A
lifetime of experiences tells us we are not invincible and we come with a pile
of doubts and insecurities that can warp our perspective. Allowing these negative experiences to take
over the great possibilities, we can potentially set ourselves up for failure
before we even start. To be aware of and look out for this in our own lives,
not allowing our perspective to be skewed to a side of the negative can be tough. However, if we instead
choose to use the wisdom we have acquired to guide us, we can still strike
out on the journey’s we desire and not only find success in what we set out to
do but become who we want to grow up to be. The simple fact being that if we
aren’t willing to choose to go beyond ordinary we will not accomplish the
extraordinary.
The lesson for
me in this daily saga is that fear of the unknown and the unpredictable path
that life will take has an ability to destroy, cripple and take the enjoyment
out of moments and has an incredible power to discourage and alter the choices
I make. I believe a certain level of
fear is healthy, what we fear we respect, it’s this healthy level of fear that
protects us. However, if allowed to
dominate every choice we make, keeping us safe in our little box, what kind of
experiences will we have? What opportunities will we miss? How will we change a
life,ours or someone elses? Stepping out of our comfortable
box or pass the tall wooden fence, into the unknown and unpredictable, will give
us a chance to experience a journey few choose, give us a range of experiences
from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. It will give us a deeper understanding of
ourselves and what we are capable of. It will better prepare us for the
roadblocks that come up and better equip us to tear them down, deal with them
or at least sneak around them.
Alana Regier
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