Comments on: fear is a professor

By: There Be Dragons…and Procrastination IS a Fire-Breather | Cleavage by Kelly Diels.

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 04:30:37 +0000

[...] Because here’s what I think: my fears and my dragons are part of me. They are me. To banish them, fight them, or slay them is to to start a war – the thing you attack always fights back – to destroy myself. It is like an amputation. And fear, like limbs – all of which I’m firmly attached to – has a purpose. Fear is a professor. [...]

By: How to Get Unstuck, Part 1: There Is No Stuck | Cleavage by Kelly Diels.

How to Get Unstuck, Part 1: There Is No Stuck | Cleavage by Kelly Diels. — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:39:11 +0000

[...] Stuck can be fear. [...]

By: Zoey @ Good Goog

Zoey @ Good Goog — Fri, 14 May 2010 09:26:16 +0000

Humans. The only animal that continues to feel fear when there is no threat of immediate danger. Still, there are so many things that I would never have done if I hadn’t been willing to get cosy with fear or give fear a death stare if the situation called for it.

By: southfieldcowboy

southfieldcowboy — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 15:25:34 +0000

Kelly, what a nice piece.

The trouble is I find, after years of avoiding the professor, that fear has become cloaked in other guises, behaviours, moods, and getting close is quite difficult. Not impossible, but very hard.

I feel a lot of emotions very intensely and I live with that, but fear… well, despite trying so many strategies, I think I’m probably dropping out of uni. (I’ll try college next)

By: Mars Dorian

Mars Dorian — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:42:47 +0000

What a great analogy Kelly,

personifying your fear is a brilliant way of coping with it, give it a name and it becomes less scary. But no matter how clever your writing, I still will not use it. My fears back in school actually were professors, and using them as a symbol for fear would only double the effect !
Nicely written nevertheless

By: Sanford

Sanford — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 13:21:46 +0000

@kellydiels, Now ya got me blushing

By: kellydiels

kellydiels — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:32:29 +0000

@John C Davies, HEAR HEAR.

By: kellydiels

kellydiels — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:31:39 +0000

@Sire, oh, the protection thing gets to me. I am a mama bear: I feel it keenly, often, and yet feel unprotected, myself, in the sense that I know I can never truly shield my babies (or myself) from the big bad world. Fortunately I only think it is a big bad world when I'm lost in the wilds of 4AM.

By: kellydiels

kellydiels — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:29:39 +0000

@Sanford, You’re amazing. You really are.

“There is no sane bravery that can outlast her. Therefore, she must be embraced, cajoled, medicated, and shown slowly that some of the danger is handle-able, and, though the mammal has not the endurance, it is a fighter and can protect.”

and you ARE a fighter, fighting the good fight, and then gifting us with your words and experience.

Thank you so much.

By: kellydiels

kellydiels — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:28:24 +0000

@John C Davies, you can write. Every sentence of your comment deserves more attention than it is getting buried down here in the comments.

This:
“If I followed all my instincts I’d have 17 children by now but I’d probably be living in a cave and painting myself blue to prevent the sky from crashing down on me.”

BEAUTIFUL.

and this:
“How effective would a lion tamer be if they never spent any time with big cats?”

EXACTLY.

thank you so much. What a joy it is to read your writing, John.