Dragons

Where are your dragons? You know, those beasts that loom large even when cloistered in caves. Skulking in the dark, they cause fear and trepidation even in the bravest, and we avoid them at all cost. The problem is, though, each dragon rests upon a mound of gold. There’s no getting to the gold without facing the dragon.

Dragons have many names (embarrassment, failure, ordinary, weak, less-than) and roar in countless languages (“You’re not good enough” “How dare you let your family down” “You should have done more with your life by now” “What do you mean, you can’t afford to have . . .”) , but the fact is dragons are the pains we spend our lives avoiding. No wonder we stuff them in caves where we don’t have to see them, cover our ears so we do not have to hear them. Who cares if they sit on gold? The pain is simply not worth it.

Or is it?

I have explored this imagine and the ways I’ve avoided my dragons. I’ve designed spacious caves big enough to house my countless pains. I’ve designed circuitous routes to avoid such caves, ways to travel without having to feel pain or smell the fear used to remind me of their existence. When those caves and routes didn’t work, I used other forms of protection, but pain is patient. Fear hangs in the air for ages. Together, they can sing a life-long song. They will wait for the perfect moment to make themselves known, leaving us running for cover once again.

What if we faced our dragons? What if we stopped letting fear paralyze us and made our way toward the caves? What if we faced the pain, knowing the gold is, in fact, worth more than our comfort? What if we picked up the phone and called that estranged friend? What if you spoke honestly to our spouse . . . parent . . . bank . . . employer? What if we followed our hearts even if doing so meant major changes?

I wonder if our arrival would cause the dragons to slither away? Yes, they may rise, throw forth a blaze of fire, but such fire and smoke do not last. If we remain, I believe the dragons will wither from their stance and climb off the mound of gold like a cowed dog. I am not sure, but I’m convinced a life full of caves is no life, one lived in fear of dragons is partial, so maybe we should all use our fears to locate our pains, then head straight towards them and slay every one.

Let's go find a sword!