A Note on Fear

On By Shayleene MacReynoldsIn travelblog

So I just finished watching a movie instead of studying for my state EMT exam, because of course I did. Anyway, the closing line was, “We don’t need you to make us feel safe, because you made us feel brave.”
And I was talking to my boyfriend, and he said that we don’t have a right to “feel” safe, but we have the right to be safe. And he’s right. He’s so very right.
And I was talking to someone who asked about my backpacking trip, and who said it was dangerous, and it wasn’t safe for a little lightweight girl like me.
And I’m confused.
By this word safety. By the fact we even need it in the first place. By the fact it must exist.
Because we have a right to be safe. Forget feeling anything at all. It’s all about the being. We should be safe.
When did that become something else entirely?
We fear for our safety because someone has taken something from us. Something that wasn’t theirs at all to take.
When I walk alone in the wilderness, my greatest fear isn’t the wild things that walk throughout the landscape. It is the men that travel there beside me.
What a thing to be afraid of. My own kind.
But this world has taught me bravery. It has taught me strength. So that I need not be afraid of safety. I’m imbibed with strength. From a hundred different people who believe in me and promise me their everlasting courage. The people that tell me “you can.” There are so many of them. They overshadow the ones who say “you can’t.”
In this politically charged atmosphere, know that you can. As a blogger that claims to denounce cruelty, I must stand here. It is my obligation. It is my duty. To proclaim the need for safety. The right to it.
But, most of all, to proclaim my love.
We walk side by side through this great wilderness of being. Sharing strengths. Sharing power. And yes, sharing fears. But there is something great in standing behind the backs of other men. In lifting them up. In raising them higher. In giving them a love that they deserve.
So here, I denounce all anger. I denounce all wrath and cruelty and injustice. We are strong together, weak only when we fall apart. But I’ve never known a strength greater than the human spirit. Than the ones who tell me yes, you can. And yes, you will.
We shall get there, friends. To a place where we don’t need to fear the lesser men. Because we know that we are brave. There is still power in love. The world has not yet taken that away from us.

17 thoughts on “A Note on Fear”

  1. “There is still power in love. The world has not yet taken that away from us.” Very powerful lines Shayleene!
    It resonates with the God’s assurance in the Bible: “There’s no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 john 4:18)
    Awesome post! Be brave in life. You’re doing great!

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  3. Pingback: A Note on Fear — The Wild Heart of Life – DIGITAL KISSES

  4. ‘We fear for our safety because someone has taken something from us. Something that wasn’t theirs at all to take.’ Shayleene, if only the world could grasp hold of those words, we would be blessed creatures, you and I. The honesty in your writing always get me. x

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  7. I’ve often wondered how you manage to stay safe out there backpacking alone. But I send you some light and say a prayer, “Take care of Shaylene”. I would advise maybe taking up a martial art like akido or taichi. Akido and taichi are not aggressive.

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