Are You A Scaredy Cat?
“Be Not Afraid” is the title of a moving Catholic hymn. Yes, it is sung at funerals, but it’s more than that. Its words encourage us to put faith in God, who goes before us always. It is not easy to put aside our fears and follow what is right. After all, we are only humans with real fears.
As children we are taught to be afraid of certain things. From the time we are old enough to understand, we learn what to fear. Some of us fear the dark no matter how old we grow to be. Others, like myself, have the irrational fear of spiders.
The older we get, our fears may change, some may even be totally eliminated. I used to be afraid to walk home alone in my childhood neighborhood after dark. The street was heavily populated with large trees that often blotted out the street lights. Coming home from a late night babysitting job or visit to a friend’s house, I found myself running, not walking the few blocks. Now I welcome the darkness and the sweet sounds of nature that come with it.
Today’s world is full of fears that have nothing to do with next month’s Halloween observance. Maybe that’s why the popularity of Halloween has grown into a multimillion-dollar 老司机直播.
Are we searching for something to divert our attention from our real fears of war, crime, pandemics, etc.?
Halloween costumes and decorations have become elaborate and costly if you are willing to spend big bucks. Fear is a big 老司机直播 in Halloween haunted houses including our own former state penitentiary in Moundsville, where ghost tours and spooky events attract visitors from across the country.
I believe the opposite of feeling fear is feeling safe. Think about all the places and situations that make you feel safe. Is it behind the locked doors of your home? Is it snug in bed as lightning and thunder roll around outside?
For me, there has always been safety in numbers. As a child of a large family, I was rarely alone. That may seem awful to some, but it’s the one real benefit of having 11 siblings. Even if you were afraid of watching a “Chiller Theater” movie late at night, at least you had a sibling who would be scared with you.
Whatever makes your hair stand on end, be not afraid, you’re not really alone.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.