Okay, this might be a rather short little post, but this idea has run through my mind so many times. What initially made me think about writing this post is the all too unknown T. V. show Monk. From there it spiraled and spiraled until…finally…here it is.
So, to start out with, I’ll explain a bit about the T. V. show Monk. Monk is a detective with extreme OCD and, dare to say, fear about almost everything. He ventures out into the world daily and solves the hardest of murders and crimes. He’s the guy the cops call when they are stumped. The thing is he only drinks one brand of water, doesn’t touch doors with his bare hands, hates to get dirty, fears germs, and so much more. There are even episodes that show how he inspects every piece of ham in the packet and throws away the pieces that aren’t perfectly straight. His house is spotless, and he doesn’t like when others use his restroom. He is the kind of guy who people make fun of because he is always afraid of the tiniest things.
But there is more. He is the brave one! You see a couple episodes show us a little about his family history and we even get to meet his brother…which…I dare say…might even be worse than him. His brother has stacks of newspapers filed away in a spare room and has agoraphobia, which is fear of leaving his house. Well, in one of these episodes he says that Adrian is the brave one, which got me thinking.
So…my thoughts: The cowardly are the bravest. Why, you say, do I say this? Think about it. What is fear? It is kind of hard to explain, but at its deepest, it is a bone crushing force that paralyzes you, even keeps you from breathing. At its lightest, it is simply a sinking of the stomach, or sweating, or sudden hot flashes, or just nervousness.
Why is the most fearful of people (or cowardly) the bravest? Well, think about it. The more fear you have about something, the harder it is to overcome it. If someone allows fear to overwhelm them, then they cannot move forward, but if someone fights through the paralyzing terror, then they have shown courage. We all would agree that John McClain, or the soldier behind enemy lines, or firemen could be considered heroes because they risk their lives in time of need to help others. Courage can have many definitions depending on the situation. For some it is defending the sole man from the trio of criminals. For others it is getting on top of that horse you are afraid to ride. We all have something that we must either be courageous and overcome or become the cowardly…at least in that situation. Of course, for many those “cowardly moments” are completely justified. If an 8-year-old fell off a horse and broke a leg or an arm, it is justified to fear horses. Nobody would really call them cowards for it.
So, Let’s think of Mr. Monk, who feared everything in life, and the cowardly lion. Both ran head long into their respective giants. One happened to be everything in the world. The other happened to be the mean ole wicked witch. Both could be considered cowards, but in the end and even their entire lives they braved their fear and continued through it.
Think about it. Most of us have moments of fear. When someone pulls a gun or a knife. When a bully comes up to us. When a car sideswipes us. When this or that. We all have small moments of fear, but those that literally live moment by moment with fear must persevere. Who is the more courageous? He who occasionally fights through her fear or the fellow who every day must take a deep breath and push on, forcing his debilitating fear deep down every moment of the day? Who steps out courageously more often? He who fears constantly or she who fears on occasion?
This is why I think the cowardly are the bravest!