The Middle School Locker: A Parable
#113
Friend,
“Nope, not today.” Sandra thought, again.
Every day she walked past her Middle School locker with her overwhelmed backpack weighing her down. Every day she thought about stopping, opening up her backpack, and putting things in her locker, but she never stopped.
She just kept walking.
She wanted to stop and unload some of the weight.
She wanted to stop and take a deep breath.
She wanted to stop, but she was afraid.
Afraid of being mocked as a failure for struggling to open her locker.
Afraid of being late to class if it took too long.
Afraid of being unable to put her carefully packed bag back together.
But there was another reason that she was afraid.
It was a reason that didn’t make sense, but fear doesn’t specialize in the things that make sense. Fear thrives in the senseless.
On the third day of school, before the third hour, she opened her locker. She emptied her bag and made it to class on time to see the list posted in the classroom, but her name wasn’t on it. She didn’t make the team.
Her mind knew that the locker had nothing to do with it, but the heart frequently doesn’t care the mind knows.
And so now, Sandra walks past her Middle School locker every day, bearing the overwhelming backpack, shuttering as she walks by.
Love,
Aaron
The Parable Explained:
It’s amazing what our memory does. It can associate two unrelated things and become intertwined. I’m sure in your life there are certain places, certain songs, certain smells, and even certain times of year that you associate with powerful memories.
Most of the time, they don’t interfere with our everyday lives, but Sandra has this constant reminder of her fear and the consequence of her avoidance of the locker. Her inability to face her fear is hurting her.
“Fear thrives in the senseless.” I wonder what you are afraid of today. So often, when I slow down and reflect on my fears, they lose their power. There is something to naming something that gives it power.
Here is my invitation to you today:
Take note of when fear rises up. See if you can notice it.
When you notice it, name it.
When you name it, be curious about it. Is what is causing my fear sensible?