“And the angel said (to the shepherds), ‘Fear not.’ And the shepherds said, ‘Are you out of your mind? We are frightened out of our skulls!!’
Okay, I made that up. But it makes sense to me.
Sometimes being frightened is the right reaction. Being scared is not always wrong.
What scares people the most? You might be surprised. It isn’t terrorism, earthquakes or tsunamis.
According to one report, it’s walking alone in the dark.
I remember a time when I was fifteen, walking home from my uncle’s house, maybe a half mile. The darkness was absolute. I had to feel my way along the old country road. Trouble is, halfway home, I had to pass George Lawson’s house and he had a massive dog that was beyond frightening. As I was approaching the general area of that house, I walked as quietly as I could. Then, without warning, suddenly the dog was there, not more than five feet from me, splitting the night air with a howl that could be heard in the next county. You’ve heard of “jumping out of your own skin”? If it was possible, that’s what I did. I ran the rest of the way, taking my chances on staying in the road.
So, yes, walking alone in the dark can be a fearsome thing.
The Sunday Parade magazine, the insert that accompanies the Sunday paper, for January 18, 2015, outdid itself this time. The cover article by Maura Rhodes asks in large letters no one can miss, “What are you afraid of?”
The article provides extensive insights into the effect of fear on the human body. When we are frightened, a lot of things happen....
–Your heart pumps to arms and legs more quickly and forcefully, priming them to fight or flee, and spiking your blood pressure. Blood flow may increase by as much as 400 percent..
–The extra tension in your poised-for action legs can literally cause you to shake in your boots.