There's a Bogeyman Under My Bed
Panic. Panic. Panic. Panic. The Bogeyman is under my bed.
There I remain – paralyzed by fear. Some small voice inside my head pleads with me to just take a look . . . but I can’t. I’m far too scared and just not ready to face him.
So we make this silent deal, my monster and I. He stays hidden in the shadows, while I remain still - in the dark. But I feel his presence and my fear just continues to grow.
It's some 40 years later and . . . there’s a bogeyman under my bed again. Fear is pulsating throughout my body. I feel the cold sweat of terror of an impending doom I am sure awaits me. And I'm just too terrified to open my eyes and face my taunting demon.
It’s one thing to be scared of heights. Or have stage fright. Or even a fear of spiders or snakes. Because here, we may not like it, but at least we actually we know what we are facing - or rather, avoiding! Those are not the ones that loom.
You understand the ones of which I now speak. We feel their presence – but we will not see their face. Masked in dread, we condemn these fears to the darkest corners of our mind, until they grow so enormous that they can no longer be ignored, nor denied.
They are the crusades we’re too timid to forge . . . the decisions too daunting to make . . . the cost of mistakes we couldn’t avoid.
“Turn on the light and look under the bed.” That’s what my mom would say.
Reluctantly, I would open my eyes and crawl out from the covers. Carefully set one toe down – and once I realized nothing took a bite – I’d set the other down as well. Slowly and carefully, I would lift the skirt of my bed and allow some light to stream in, illuminating the culprit of my anxiety.
Which was, well, . . . nothing.
But I know it was there before! Because I imagined it and all of its evil ugliness. But that’s just it. Our fears can take on a life of their own -when left in the dark to grow. And there is only one way to stop the panic.
Turn on the light.
Whatever you hide from is nowhere near as frightening as what you have imagined. And it will immediately shrink in size the moment you stand in its face. This fear is like a bully who gains its strength in your reluctance – yet cowers once confronted.
So go ahead and flick that switch and open your eyes. I promise you, the bogeyman is not near as horrible when viewed in the light of day.
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Thanks Peg, your words are so true and inspiring...don't stop being Peg..as if you would...
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thank you tim!
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