By Bob Perks, from “I Wish You Enough”
It's not that I didn't know this already. Our two dogs, Ricky and Lucy have been with us for about ten years. Phil, our youngest, is about three years old.
Whenever thunderstorms approach, long before we are aware of them, my dogs begin to sense them.
Sensing them means that they begin to hide, shake and it’s almost guaranteed that they won't eat as well.
When we know in advance, we will make every effort to take them into the yard a number of times to do their thing because once the storm is here, fear steps in where nature's calling ends.
So you would think by now this was all just part of our lives and it is, but then there was the July 4th fireworks and a storm.
It brought to light a new revelation.
Ricky and I sat down to "talk."
Well, I talk, he listens. Of course, I am not totally sure he is listening. My wife Marianne has that same look on her face when she "listens" to me. Experience has proven that she doesn't listen; she just tries to survive the talk.
Anyway, during my recent conversation with Ricky it dawned on me. Dogs aren't the only ones who have unreasonable fears.
"Ricky, you've been through these storms so many times before and nothing bad has happened to you," I said.
"It's just sound," I reasoned. "Sound has never harmed you."
He continued to shake a bit.
"I haven't let anything happen to you and I won't."
His eyes began to roam as he scanned the room for a quick exit.
My wife does that, too, but at least she nods her head faking agreement and understanding periodically.
Suddenly I had this "Ah Ha" moment.
People do the same thing. We fear things that we have no real knowledge of or past bad experience with and build upon that fear without logic.
"It's how I feel." That's the basis for many limitations we've come to call failures in our lives.
There's no real proof, no statistical data indicating that we should fear going back to school, moving, starting a new job, asking for a raise, taking a stand in a family situation that may not be the most popular, or a thousand other things.
"Why aren't you doing this?"
"I don't know, but it's how I feel."
That's what Ricky was saying to me.
How do I know? I speak "dog" in several breeds.
No, because dogs just don't have the ability to find logical alternative choices.
We do.
So, next time you find yourself sitting there strapped by fear knowing logically that you shouldn't be, picture me talking to Ricky... or Marianne.
Know that you do have better choices, higher intelligence and the ability to take control of a situation and rise above it all.
Research it, find the statistics that support your choice, talk to others who have similar experiences and face the storm that has kept you indoors and under the couch.
Just don't sit under a tree when there's lightning. That's a proven fact.
Now, it might storm this afternoon. I better get the dogs out.
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