Courage is a strange word.
It implies there’s fear.
And indeed, there is.
Moving forward in life is sometimes a shaky experience, like crossing a swaying bridge. The daredevil in me would love to see the views from this bridge but I know my knuckles would be white gripping the side ropes. Vertigo makes my head swim, my heart race and the blood pound through my veins!
What is courage?
Courage is defined as ‘mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty’ (Merriam Webster). Imagine then, venturing along a narrow mountainside path with no option but to move forward.
I once walked around this mountainside in Northern Thailand. The only measure of proof is this photo, taken with my back firmly against the wall of the mountain while tentatively reaching for my camera which was slung over my shoulder With sections sporting little space to the edge of the narrow path with its rickety fence, it was a case of one sideways step after another.
My husband was way ahead of me with his best mate, believing I had given up and gone back to the start. He knew how heights affected me.
However, I always prefer to go forward, so retracing my steps, once I was on my own, wasn’t an option.
I turned my back to the rocky wall and inched my way along, glancing out and up, not down, at least not until I pretended I had a bit of courage.
One step at a time. That’s how I managed. Past piles of pickets that had fallen off. Who had managed to collect them and put them in a wider recess? Some brave soul, no doubt.
I know I took a long time to get to the look-out. Once there, I paused a good while, but as you might imagine, I’d seen enough of tree tops and soon began my journey down the mountain side. Not nearly as daunting.
Window after window of opportunity for photos slowed me down this time!
I was surprised when I met our hosts’ Thai helper who’d been sent to find me! I was already heading down the safe, wide stairs to the car park when I met him. Admittedly it was dusk by then! My one-man search party smiled and headed back to the car park with me.
Yes, I’d made it!
I know we each have our challenges to face; some are harsh realities about how one approaches life. .
Courage comes in all shapes and sizes. This was so real for me – just like in real life. Hey! It was real life!
When is courage called for?
Instances I find myself needing courage range from mountain treks, tree-tops walks to just getting up in the morning after the loss of a loved one. I could list a dozen or more; here are just a few –
- Making new friends.
- Moving house
- Raising two daughters alone
- Reading a eulogy for a loved one.
- Leaving one’s home country and living and working overseas
- Marriage and its opposite.
- Learning how to be single again.
- Walking one’s spiritual path
- Making wise financial investments
- Driving around a foreign country – on the other side of the road!
- …and more!
I’ll talk about some of the above in future posts.
“But as long as your courage holds out you may as well go right ahead making a fool of yourself. All brave men are fools.” — Robert Frost 17 Apr. 1915, in Selected Letters of Robert Frost, 1964