I always try to make a big deal out of it when I know someone is facing their fear. Sometimes this is counterproductive because some people really don't want any attention at all. Most often, however, it draws smiles.
The thing I hate the most about fear is what it steals from us. I can remember times in my life when I was too afraid to take a chance and I know I lost those opportunities. Nothing I can do about it now, but I do regret those times.
A few years ago, I was asked to be the speaker at our Homecoming rally in central park. It was a first for me and I thought I should do some kind of a welcome. I'd always wanted to sing Queen's "We Will Rock You" at a pep rally so I just stepped up to the mic and did it a capella. Silly as it sounds, taking that chance will forever be one of my favorite memories. I had kids who never liked our pep rallies coming up and cheering me on. I really felt appreciated. The risk was that I'd look like an idiot and be laughed off the bandstand, but instead, every year I have people asking me if I'm going to do it again. I'm a bald, bearded English teacher and for a few minutes each year they let me feel like a rock star. How lucky is that?
Now, I'd like to distinguish the kind of risks that I want people to take. I'm very much a safety first kind of guy so I hate hearing about reckless drivers, experimentation with drugs, and promiscuous behavior. The risks I want to see people taking are the kind that make awesome memories and never hurt anyone. I had a silly friend who started to sing "America" at the end of a small town fireworks display. I was afraid that people would see him as making fun of their little town since we weren't from there. I was kind of uncomfortable with him because he thought things like that were funny. However, on this occasion everyone around us joined in and it turned into a poignant moment where patriotism swells and I was proud to be standing and singing with total strangers. That's a risk I wouldn't have taken, but I'm glad I was there for it.
We seem to live in an age of fear politics. I wish that more people would recognize the damage that fear does to us. People who are not like us are as they are for reasons that we should try to understand. Religion in particular is too often twisted to turn people against each other. That's the worst of blasphemies. All of the world's major religions agree that we should take care of each other and love each other. Fear of each other's differences erodes the American spirit, or any spirit for that matter. Some people even want to tell the rest of us "how" to be American. As Americans we usually don't respond well to overbearing commands.
So I appear to have started babbling. Step up to the mic and belt out your freedom. You'll find others like you who appreciate your taste. Face your fears and live strong. Don't let fear steal anymore life from you.
Limerick time.
There once was a dancer named Katya
Whose favorite food was foccacia
Spinning dough in the air
She danced on a chair
But she slipped and her doughball went splatcha!
It seems we're all hard up for rhymes these days.
A CIA agent named "Louie"
Was on a case that got quite gooey
He stepped in some gum,
Got glue on his thumb
And found himself sticky and chewy.
Phew! Maybe I'll think of better stuff later.
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