Skip to main content

Letters in a Glass Bottle II

Irrational Fear||Rationality in the Face of Fear

Son,

Is there any way it is rational to fight a lunatic? Would you have imagined I had ever decided to fight a mad man? Let me share with you a small story. I lived in Abeokuta one time, and in the district where I lived there was a lunatic (as with all the neighbourhoods in Abeokuta). This guy always walked about with a stick along the road median. It happened that on this fateful day, I had crossed one side of the road to the median, when I saw him coming. He was armed with his stick and was wielding it with a fierce look on his face. I thought he even pointed it at me one time as he started marching towards me determinedly.

Naked fear hugged me tight and I began to sweat. I decided to quickly cross over before he reached me but the speeding oncoming traffic made it impossible. Beating a retreat to where I came from was far more impossible. It was me and a lunatic in the middle of speeding traffic. Fear told me to get away as fast as possible. Attempting to cross at all costs will definitely result in an accident or worse get me killed. To what end? That I was running from a lunatic? What was I to do? I then decided if this guy attacks me or tries to push me off unto traffic we were going to fight.

 The mad man got closer and with each step he took, it was getting clearer that a fight was imminent. My heart began to pound and sweat dripped off my eyebrows. I acted aloof yet I spied on his approach with my side eye. I’m all for peace but I won’t be caught off-guard and I decided I couldn’t come and die in Abeokuta over something as worthless as this. Today I was going to run mad since Yoruba people say when you fight a crazy person, bystanders won’t be able to say who’s sane between you two. When the crazy fellow got to me I waited for his attack but surprisingly there was none. He just passed as fiercely as he had come. Boy was I so relieved.

Imagine if I had attempted to run away and had gotten knocked down? And had died? You’d have no daddy, one and I’ll spend my heavenward trip regretting why I ran away or you’d have a crazy daddy who got crazy because a car hit his head. You see, most of the things we are afraid of are actually not coming our way or even if they were, are powerless to hurt us. If the danger is coming our way and it is capable of causing grievous harm, only a rational plan will get you to safety. Even running away yields the best results when you plan your escape well. When you get afraid it is important that you don’t lose it to panic. Remain rational.

Save for fear of physical harm which is a natural thing, most of the things we fear happening in the social realm world rarely come to pass or even if they do their effects are not as bad as we fear. For example when I was younger, I had a morbid fear of speaking in public or addressing groups of people. I usually feared something embarrassing would happen, which actually never happened (save for the day one dude pulled my trousers on stageJ), this irrational fear stopped me from sharing my thoughts with people for a long time and making meaningful friendships.

Likewise, I had this stupid fear of visiting Lagos alone. A friend of mine was mugged there once and I thought if I went there I’d be mugged too, how silly. Due to this fear I passed up many opportunities of visiting Lagos, but when I eventually got over this irrationality I enjoyed several trips to Lag. And while there nobody mugged me.

I was also going to write about women in this paragraph but I think I have changed my mind. I’ll just conclude instead.

To be afraid is not actually a bad thing; it is a natural flag that warns me of impeding sticky situations. Allowing fear to push you to panic is what is stupid. In the face of fear, it is important to remain calm and think logically however hard it may be.

I hope you've learnt something.


Lots of love 

Your Dad.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tale of Roasted Maize and Sour Olives

The tale recounted is based on true events Some weeks back, on Nigeria’s Independence Day to be precise, I planned to spend the whole day indoors. That I did, I spent the day watching movies and lazying in bed. It turned out to be a quiet day all through, nothing spectacular until I received a call. An Uncle* of mine who lived in the same compound with us called me on phone and said I should meet him on his side of the house. It was about 4 pm so I trudged to his apartment, expecting to be sent on an errand. When I got there, he simply gave me a cob of roasted Maize and some Olives and that was that. It was very funny, almost awkward. I carried this funny look on my face that made his wife laugh at the situation. He just encouraged me to give it a try. I took huge bite off the cob, shaving off a large swathe of roasted Maize seeds from the cob, and then went for the Olives which turned out to be sour. Dang! The sensation is beyond description, especially when the Olive...
2 comments
Read more

The First Million

It is not in doubt that the second million is easier to make than the first. In fact, many people say the first million is the hardest to make. Back then when I was passing through the unemployment phase, a mentor of mine, advised me to start small saying “ It is easier to get a job when you are engaged with a job ”. Even Corporate Mach said something similar when he wrote that “ It is easier to get a laptop when you already have a laptop ” and he wasn't talking about laptops. I am not going to talk about Tech or money. Just wanted to put it out there that I agree fully. Ever since I presented my manifesto to my beloved, to which she accepted, the greenlight I have received from young ladies has been overwhelming. A certain acquaintance of mine who took upon herself Jezebelian inclinations even went further graphically describe her desires of me. It was quite wild and I get a running stomach anytime I think about it. But that’s not the point. The point is once you break even, t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Who did it?

Madam Shola had always been a very friendly woman ever since I knew her - which was like all my life. One of my funniest memories of her was when her humour made its finest appearance. It was a surprisingly rainy Sunday morning some Decembers ago, and we had just closed from church. My wife and I were dashing to the car hand in hand as it drizzled. "Mr and Mrs Lovebird", madam Shola called. I recognized her voice and stopped to say hello to her. "Good morning ma" "Sam, look at you! You're glowing" she exclaimed, turning to my wife she added "Mercy, you're doing a great job, I give you an A". She said using her right forefinger to make a swoosh in the air. We all laughed. First of all, my name is not Sam neither is it Samuel. Madam Shola had never called me by my name. Never. I'd gotten tired of correcting her and never bothered anymore. Sighting mercy's protruding belly she opened her mouth in mock surprise. "I see wh...
Post a Comment
Read more