It has taken me fifty plus years to see it, although it was obvious to my childhood friends and family. I never saw it in myself, but it’s true. I was a bonafide, scaredy-cat kid. I was overly cautious, super careful, and hesitant to take risks– at least about things that might cause bodily injury and pain.
I wasn’t hesitant to open my mouth, that’s for sure. And I never had stage fright. But when it came to the prospect of bodily peril, I was out. Saying no was no problem when there was even the smell of a hazard. It was more than just the regular childhood fears– like fearing the dark, fearing shots, fearing the dentist, etc. Mine were fears that became major hinderances. My fears probably kept me out of trouble in some respects, but placed unnecessary roadblocks into my life as a whole. It was a miserable place to be, and I didn’t even recognize it. For instance……
