“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.”
— James Stephens
Almost all of us have or had have a phobia or fear of something. If you were bullied, then someone. If you were ever able to conquer it, you would look back now and sheepishly laugh at yourself for wondering what was the big deal about it after all.
Unfortunately, some of us carry our fears right into adulthood. It can, at times, obstruct us in living our day-to-day lives.
But here's the thing about fear, it is nothing to be ashamed about. It sounds cliqued from all the movies and books that quote this, but it is actually true. Being brave doesn't mean you are not scared, it is because you are and yet find the will to rise to the occasion.
As a child, I was scared of a lot of things and the one thing I learned is that being thrust at the object of your fear over and over again isn't the best cure at all. In fact, it can scar a child for life. What I believe is that a child needs patience, understanding, empathy and empowerment from the adults in their lives. You should always allow a child to have control of the situation and let them decide when to walk away.
They may overcome it or have some semblance of control of their fear, but all we can do is hold their hand and say: "It's okay to be afraid. I am here. I am not going anywhere. I will protect you."
As most of you saw in the media and in person last Thursday, we had unexpected rare visitors in the form of a swarm of desert locusts. Looking at them was rather alarming since this was my first time seeing a swarm in Bahrain. They were, thankfully, definitely not on the incredibly intimidating scale seen in the Brendan Fraser-starred movie The Mummy nor from the Moses and Egyptian pharaoh scenes in the Bible. So understandably, my niece and nephew were apprehensive about them.
To keep our newly-launched weekly tradition going, we decided to walk with just one furry friend last Friday. That would be our darling sweet Bridge.
We walked with Bridge for quite a distance and we certainly enjoyed the amazing weather and our time together. However, at the sight of a few locusts, I left the children to decide when they had enough and turned back.
I just want to express here how proud I am of them.
Despite knowing that they might come across the creepy critters, they somehow dug deep and found the courage to still come. They said nothing will stop them from seeing the doggos. I applaud them because I wish I was that brave as a child.
When it comes to taking Bridge to his kennel, each time feels like betraying a dear friend or family member. You take them out with the promise of a wonderful time that will end with the day feeling blissful, but instead it ends up with a proverbial dagger in their back.
It is heartbreaking to see the look on his face when he knows the fantastic outing is going to come to a sad end. I feel my heart crack a little every time I coax him back in. You just wanna cry seeing his sorrowful eyes through the bars. I pray he gets adopted soon, even if it is to a forever home beyond Bahrain's borders.
Here's hoping that before the next BSPCA volunteer weekends, a Mary Poppins style ominous wind passes through to carry our guests onwards to the next leg of their journey. I may sound rude, but they have overstayed our welcome.
Interested in adopting Bridge or just want to hang out with him, then you are more than welcome to take him out for a walk along with the other furry sweethearts there. BSPCA Volunteer Weekends are on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The timings are 9 am till 1 pm.
Want to adopt a pair? Look no further than best friends Gio and Tyler. They are inseparable and are absolutely miserable when apart.
