The big monster......

I think I have always wondered about age. For many years, I was jestingly admonished about what a child I was. I was told that I would understand certain situations when I "grew up" or when I become "more mature". What was this maturity that people spoke about? How do you determine it? Is there some magical cloud that swirls around you and makes you mature or is it some sort of epiphany that you have? Personally, I have always believed in the youth of life. It is not something I assosciate with physical appearance or with age, but rather the innocence and joy that resides in our heart. But come to occasion, I do realise that there is something that creeps into our hearts like a thief at night and slits a hole through it that drains away the happiness and innocence.Its probably fear-fear of situations, current or future. The dark moster that it is, fear immobilises our mind by painting gruesome picture after picture and steals its way into our hearts until we are left gasping for breath wondering when we forgot to laugh. I think th biggest contributor to fear is the realisation that we are loosing control of the purity of our hearts and sinking. I am not going to state how one should fit in cetrain activities in the daily routine-not becasue I do not believe in the concept but rather there are already a number of articles on the subject. I realise how sufficating certain situations in life can be and at that point the easiest option would be surrender to fear and walk down the well trodden path of cynicism. However, I think one of the most important lessons in life is to fight against anything that threatens to marr you. We are taught a lot of things in schools and colleges and by our social circle of friends but perhaps the most important lessos is left out-never let fear swallow you. It is alright to be afraid but it is not to let it immobilise you. Some of us are born with a care a hang attitude while the rest of us need to conciously learn how to deal with panic and fear that arises even from the smallest situation. For the second group of people, to which I most unambiguosly fall into, this is a life lesson which has to be learnt and learnt fast. We have to learn to put a bell on this monster so that it can no longer steal up behind us noiselessly. We hve to reach into the brightest niches of our hearts and fashion a sword out of the very fabric of our hope and defend our dreams and happiness against this monster called fear. For after all, what is life without our dreams to chase and happiness in our hearts?