Finding bravery in others

My friend  recently cut off a good chunk of skin while cutting some paper with an exacto knife. First let me tell you that I do NOT handle blood well. I get woozy, I lose my hearing, and then I faint. It is not fun. (Note here that you should not rely on me in an emergency situation involving bleeding wounds. I warned you.)

I heard her squeal in pain and jumped up to help. A tissue was quickly applied to the boo-boo and she was taken off to be fixed.

Why do I bring this up? Well because it amazes me that after experiencing, what I consider to be, a traumatic experience she is right back at it cutting paper, using that darn exacto. When I found a spider in the toilet I couldn’t pee in that stall for weeks! Even now I check before I sit for fear of finding a demon in the form of a spider down there (click here for the post about it).

She is braver than me. She took her fear and laughed at it. She didn’t let it get the best of her which made me reflect on my own experiences. I thought back to all of the things I’ve done where I was injured or hurt (physically and emotionally) and how those little moments effected my life for the future.

I remember a specific instance from high school. I had on a super cute brown Entrust t-shirt with my black Volcom pants and a hot pink ribbon tied around my neck as a necklace. I felt killer in that outfit! I was at school feeling like a million bucks when a girl told me I couldn’t wear black and brown together. She told me I looked ridiculous and it was a fashion faux pa. Her words hurt so much that to this day I feel self conscious when I wear ANY brown with ANY black. I allowed one little interaction with a person determine what I would wear for the next ten years.

THAT IS RIDICULOUS! I don’t even talk to that girl anymore. We aren’t even friends on Facebook. Why do I care about that?

Answer: I shouldn’t!! It doesn’t matter. If an outfit makes me feel awesome then great! I should wear it!

I know the situations are a bit different but her facing her fear and getting back on that horse made me feel compelled to do the same. So here goes.

This is me in brown and black and I don’t even care!!!

Have you ever experienced something like this?