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Face Your Fears 1: The Dark
I have a lot of fear.
We all do.
It's only when we understand what our fears are that we can start to overcome them. The more fearful scenarios we understand/rise above in any way, the closer we get to removing that fear from our mind, and fear as a whole from ruling our lives. I have been looking at everything I do recently in my life as symbolic. If I find a problem I am facing that seems unbeatable, I will find similar, easier things that relate to it in my life, that I can see me beating, and I do it. This shows me that I can do those harder things in just this same way.
This will be the start of a set for me: 'Face Your Fears'. In each installment, I will challenge a fear by facing it in a symbolic way, and photograph the moment.
This first fear is a common one, combining many aspects, but all leading to one major fear. Fear of the dark, fear of abandoned places at night, fear of spooky areas, fear of being alone in a foreign place at night? They all boil down to one major fear. Fear of the unknown.
To face this fear last night, I went to a famous local place for various spooky urban legends (ghosts, insane asylums, KKK, oh my!) in my high school+ years. While the road was accessible by car then, the entire road has now been blocked off by cement barricades and gates, and the only way in to my photo spot at the 'slaughterhouse' is a 20-30 minute walk along a completely dark and abandoned blacktop road. The only light for this trip are the stars. The only sounds are the wind and local wildlife. The only company is your mind. This is where the fear begins and ends.
As I got closer to my destination (and also further from my only way out), the fear got stronger. The thought that I should turn back and give up ran through my mind, but I realized that that wouldn't dissipate any fear. The only way to dissipate even a bit was to follow through. With a lot of inner dialogue and thinking (as well as a few jump scares along the way) to keep me company, I finally saw the large, dark shape of the decaying building in my night sight. My fear grew. Then I arrived at the metal gates, and a blast of wind picked up in the large tree next to me. This was when my fear took steroids, and the option to give up became much more attractive.
Nevertheless, I climbed the gate, made my way across the dark field and into the 'slaughterhouse', where I snapped my shot. I Duddits!!
And wouldn't you know it, completely different than the spooky walk up that dark lonely road to this spot, my walk back along that same road was as carefree as could be, as I roamed casually back listening to music, with an interesting mix of relieved excitement and vigor that happens when you realized that you just faced a fear.
So Round 1 of Face Your Fear complete. A tiny portion of the great fear of the unknown has been chipped away: I faced my fear of the dark.. the big, dark, open, abandoned slaughterhouse on the dark, mysterious road littered with long lasting, creepy urban legend and ghost stories associated. The next time I find myself fearing the unknown and not wanting to go any more, I can remember this night.
Face Your Fears 1: The Dark
I have a lot of fear.
We all do.
It's only when we understand what our fears are that we can start to overcome them. The more fearful scenarios we understand/rise above in any way, the closer we get to removing that fear from our mind, and fear as a whole from ruling our lives. I have been looking at everything I do recently in my life as symbolic. If I find a problem I am facing that seems unbeatable, I will find similar, easier things that relate to it in my life, that I can see me beating, and I do it. This shows me that I can do those harder things in just this same way.
This will be the start of a set for me: 'Face Your Fears'. In each installment, I will challenge a fear by facing it in a symbolic way, and photograph the moment.
This first fear is a common one, combining many aspects, but all leading to one major fear. Fear of the dark, fear of abandoned places at night, fear of spooky areas, fear of being alone in a foreign place at night? They all boil down to one major fear. Fear of the unknown.
To face this fear last night, I went to a famous local place for various spooky urban legends (ghosts, insane asylums, KKK, oh my!) in my high school+ years. While the road was accessible by car then, the entire road has now been blocked off by cement barricades and gates, and the only way in to my photo spot at the 'slaughterhouse' is a 20-30 minute walk along a completely dark and abandoned blacktop road. The only light for this trip are the stars. The only sounds are the wind and local wildlife. The only company is your mind. This is where the fear begins and ends.
As I got closer to my destination (and also further from my only way out), the fear got stronger. The thought that I should turn back and give up ran through my mind, but I realized that that wouldn't dissipate any fear. The only way to dissipate even a bit was to follow through. With a lot of inner dialogue and thinking (as well as a few jump scares along the way) to keep me company, I finally saw the large, dark shape of the decaying building in my night sight. My fear grew. Then I arrived at the metal gates, and a blast of wind picked up in the large tree next to me. This was when my fear took steroids, and the option to give up became much more attractive.
Nevertheless, I climbed the gate, made my way across the dark field and into the 'slaughterhouse', where I snapped my shot. I Duddits!!
And wouldn't you know it, completely different than the spooky walk up that dark lonely road to this spot, my walk back along that same road was as carefree as could be, as I roamed casually back listening to music, with an interesting mix of relieved excitement and vigor that happens when you realized that you just faced a fear.
So Round 1 of Face Your Fear complete. A tiny portion of the great fear of the unknown has been chipped away: I faced my fear of the dark.. the big, dark, open, abandoned slaughterhouse on the dark, mysterious road littered with long lasting, creepy urban legend and ghost stories associated. The next time I find myself fearing the unknown and not wanting to go any more, I can remember this night.