WELCOME
MISTER FEAR!
Mister Fear is very clever, always finds the right time to sneak out of your untidy closet, slither out from underneath your dusty bed, peep out of the darkest corner of your house (or of your mind)... No matter where you are, no matter where he's hiding, he always finds his slimy way to you.
He's unpredictable: sometimes you make an appointment, you wait for him hours, even days, and he doesn't show up; he lets you cook in your own steam, untill you start looking for him, calling him and even wanting him back, because "it is simply impossible that I'm not afraid this time". And then, just when you started to believe the impossible and forget about him, the moment you let your guard down...Surprise! There he comes, totally unexpected.
He's a quick-change artist,
too. He's a master... I wonder where he learnt that? He can take as
many forms as you allow him to: it can be the shiny yellow eyes of
your cat, waiting to assault you on your way to the bathroom during
the night. Or the shut wrinkled lips of your grandma when you broke
the special vase that your grandfather painted, the irreplaceable one
and only. "How many times did I tell you not to play with the
ball inside the house?" "Ooops". It's the never-ending
waiting that precedes the inevitable impact of your dad's enormous
hand with your innocent and way too soft butt. That's pure Fear! It's
the dark, the void, silence, heights, loneliness, responsibilities,
the white coat of the dentist, failure, pain, something old,
something new, something borrowed, something blue,... All of them or
none, and, the most amazing thing, all their opposites as well.
Animal or person, tangible
or intangible, he likes special effects and fireworks. Loves being in
the centre of the attention and making some drama...Oh yes, he (or
she?) is the perfect drama queen!
Very considerate of him, he
sometimes comes in the very good company of the lovely Miss
Insecurity and the adorable Mrs Anxiety. What he absolutely lacks, is
some generous portion of Trust and Self-Confidence. But, well, what
to do? Nobody's perfect!
He's an unscrupulous and
cruel teacher, has no regards for anybody, not even for himself,
because you can be afraid of Fear itself. And if you feed him too
much, he may turn into mister Panic, the Hyde-version of Dr Jekyll or
the secret picture of Dorian Grey, that we all keep in our most
remote attic. And trust me, you don't want to meet Mr Panic very
often!
Whenever Mr Fear is there,
you become lazy, you prefer not to take the risk, you avoid things,
run away from people and situations, from emotions and from life
itself. Sad, isn't it?
No matter how many mountains
you climb, how many continents you explore, if you jumped out of a
plane or sank into the deep blue ocean. No matter how many people you
met, how many times you stood out, spoke for yourself, faced him,
he's always there to accompany you.
But he was also there every
time you needed him, to remind you how much it hurts to put your hand
on fire, to stop you when you wanted to escape the house jumping from
the second floor, to pull your sleeve when you were about to cross
that road exactly in the same moment when a car was coming. He was
there to prevent you from repeating always the same mistake (at least
he suggested you not to do it again, it is your choice if you keep
making it). He can be very bossy and strong, sure, but only if you
let him take the lead. If you learn how to domesticate him, you will
find him a very loyal companion, and he'll become smaller and
smaller, not more than a reassuring and pleasant presence whispering
in your ears from time to time, just in the right moment, when you
need that wise advice from a friend who knows you from very close.
He's not a huge monster with
terrifying teeth and claws, he just disguises himself, but deep down
he's not more than a
puppy who invites you to
play.
And if you accept the challenge, that's when the two of you can have some real fun!
