Tales From The Fridge - Facing Our Fear

The Fridge

Every time I place my hand on the freezer door to get ice-cream, I see them. Little white blocks, a scramble of words—calling, taunting. I ignore them too much, thinking that I've used up all the combinations that this collection of hiking and camping words can offer. But sometimes, usually late at night when I should be going to bed, I find myself with my hand against the freezer door. Slowly, block by block, word by word, a poem begins to take form. Haunted by the poet spirit of Apollo, I stand there for however long it takes—moving, rearranging, coaxing, cajoling—little white blocks marshalled into rows of thought.

A couple of nights ago I was thinking of the harsh lessons that life teaches us. Granted, life is tough, but also beautiful. It can be hard to remember that, especially when the struggles seem to stack up. But, if I've learned anything it's that being held down by those struggles has more to do with fear than anything else. Fear is the great trick our brain plays on us. Fear tells us the universe is against us. Fear wants to stay home, stay away from relationships, stay inside and stream a movie.

I especially think about this with my kids. Sometimes, when they come up against an experience that didn't go the way they thought it would, they can feel it is a sign that things will never go right. They lack the wisdom of adulthood brought on by years of experiences. It can seem like the end of the road for them. (I'm amazed at how many adults choose this path as well—and I include myself in that group at times).

As someone who has suffered greatly from anxiety and panic, I have found that the times I feel defeated are the time when I want to crawl away and hide. Maybe it's okay to take some time to lick my wounds, but if I don't get back out there and face that which gave me panic, I only entrench myself further in fear.

Dr. David Carbonell, in his book "The Worry Trick", says, "The trick is this: you experience doubt, and treat it like danger. We all live out lives as if we know what's going to happen...We're likely to treat that doubt as it were a sign of danger, rather than the usual discomfort we can feel about uncertainty."

I don't mean to make light of the terrible things that can happen to us as people. Horrors abound in this world. What I do offer are a few words to remind us that, sometimes, when it's within our grasp, we possess the ability to face the things we fear.

So, to that end, I present the latest entry into what I've called "Cool Poems". (Get it? Cool? Because they are magnets on a fridge. I feel like I shouldn't have to explain this.)

Ascend