I have been a little on edge lately. A couple weeks back, I saw a movie preview that really creeped me out -- and it was just a preview. Even so, I couldn't get some of the images out of my head and found myself sleeping that much closer to Superman at night and keeping the apartment more shut up than usual.
Then a funny thing happened.
Yesterday afternoon I made the rookie mistake of opening my door to someone I didn't know. I have no idea why I did this. All my years of common-sense training failed me and I turned the knob even though I had no idea who the person in the peep hole was. It turned out to be a kid selling magazine subscriptions. He was non-threatening enough, but still taller than me. Not my smartest moment.
Then later in the evening I had to make a run over to Walgreen's. As I was walking back to my car two teenage girls, who had been smoking outside on a bench, asked if I would give them a ride home (actually only one of them asked -- the other one looked shocked and embarrassed by her friend). I said "sure" without hesitating. So they hopped in my car and I drove them down the road a bit as we made small talk. They were very nice and expressed their gratitude.
It was only on the way back to my own home that the two incidences struck me as funny. I talk to strangers all the time at grocery stores and what not. But it's different to open your front door to them or to give them a ride home. But I did both. In one day. And you know what? No more weird thoughts about that stupid movie! It's almost as if God used the strange circumstances to help me conquer my fear.
Do I condone doing things like this when you're all alone? Absolutely not. But please believe that I'm a firm believer in intuition -- the "gift of fear" -- and would have done neither of these things if I felt the slightest hesitation in my gut. I didn't feel the gut thing, though, which is why I view the whole thing as providencial in a way. So there you have it. My strange day with strangers took away my fear (for now) of strangers in strange movies.
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4 comments:
Where's that verse about entertaining angels...? Glad that the creepy preview is out of your mind :)
I am constantly struggling to find the balance between a healthy fear of bad things that could happen and having a general trust of humanity, or what I also like to call being optimistic and what Brett likes to call, "stupid." :)
I'm happy you're strange day gave the ol' draino treatment to the preview.
Honestly, this is probably the most interesting post I've read this week. Human fear is a strange thing. I am well-acquainted with it.
That boy "selling magazine subscriptions" was most likely a total crook. Gypsies organize these pushy "magazine salesmen" who are always trying to win some trip. Real gypsies. I kid you not. It's a scam.
So, I don't trust them at all and call the constable when they appear on my door.
Just my .02.
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