07 | June | 2020 | Writing Spool

Nothing is sounding good. Even those who are trying to get to the truth seem to be forgetting to talk about solutions.

It seems to me to be as simple as quitting fear. It’s a drug and, for the most part, not one of choice but rather one that is being crammed down throats.

Fear does happen to be the easiest emotion to arouse because it is so primal.

Real fear is good, like hiding from a mountain lion or avoiding stepping on a rattle snake. That’s what adrenaline is made for, designed for. It isn’t there to be use all day every day and anyone who does is being tricked — there are far better drugs on the market. Love is one. Peace is one. Kindness is one. They can make you fly as high as a kite.

One of the highest highs I ever had was after a job I completed for a client where I had to design a bank of woven shades to go over a string of windows side by side with a million variations of measurements from one to the next. All those measurements had to be exact and, aside from those million variations, there were a million things to remember for how they should be ordered and placed on those windows — how far above the window, how far in front, how much allowance between them, how much more room to allow for the valance. It seemed impossible to get it all right. You can’t even begin to imagine all the gyrations and charts I had to go through and the reams of paper used as the hand held calculator and my mind whirled and burned.

The company I was working for was one of those companies that, if the customer complained, they just made them all again with the fixes in with very few questions asked. They seemed able to throw money away. It was because of that very reason that no one could compete, (and they used imported labor.)

The blame for every mistake was always on the designer no matter what the reason and then the designer got marks against her and didn’t get the praise in meetings that others might — public shaming — another one of those fear mongering things.

I never chewed those things very well and spit them out as soon as the taste was bad. I’ve never been one to play games, especially not for arbitrary merit dished out by people I didn’t much respect. The merit I got was from a job well done — no one need see it but me.

Well that job went in without a single little glitch and I was as high as a kite. Driving home, my mind was in seventh heaven and a cop took notice of my unintended speed — I was in another world and my foot forgot to stop. I was flying.

He was the kindest cop I’ve ever encountered. He let me talk. He asked me questions. For some reason, he asked me what I did for a living — probably due to a car full of samples. He got excited when I told him that I did interior design work for clients as he had a daughter that was going that direction. He let me go with a pass. He looked at the drink in my holder and said, “Every time you pick that up, remember about your speed.” Wise words and generous kindness. My high had been suddenly halted but another one was given.

That’s what positive energy seems to do. I think he got a vibe from me.

The fear dished out on television and all the billions of hand held devices never ever put away are something we do have control of. It is as simple as quitting watching. It is as simple as doing something else. It as simple as doing something good — of making something better — of using imagination.

Creating.

The big bang theory forces us think that we were formed by blowing something up.

Nature never does that.

The creation theory says we came by divine imagination.

There is no such thing as nothing.

Let’s say we were created and that that energy is inexhaustible. Maybe it only ever changes form. So do we want a world of fear or a world of beautiful things that we created?

It seems as simple as that. It’s a better drug to quit fear. Quit fear. Quit fear. Say it three times with me and proceed without caution. The cop in that world hands out tickets of merit, if you need a pat on the back for any reason.

Call me crazy, but I think this plan could work.

“And, they’re coming to take me away…to the funny farm where life is beautiful all the time…”