LEGEND HAS IT THAT … Part One

by Larry Tyler

Columnist & Featured Contributor, BIZCATALYST360.com                      

 I often wonder why these four short words always sounded sinister to me. When my sister told us these kinds of stories she would set the mood. We would put blankets on the floor and light candles. She would get us to sit still and listen to the silence. She would wait until she was sure that we were listening and start with a quiet almost whispering sinister voice, “Legend has it that …”. These stories usually took us down a scary path where fearful things happen. They usually involved darkness, old deserted houses, and lonely old people. She would take us on a journey that involved facing our fears and in the end finding our courage.

Facing Your Fears, Part One

There were four frightening events that happened in my life when I was very young. They forever changed the way I lived my life going forward. Like the legends of old the stories’ outcomes are about facing fear and finding the way to walk life’s path with courage and confidence. I call these stories The Four Faces of Fear. This is part one of my journey beyond fear.

Legend has it that there is a cave dug into the bank along the creek where a great serpent lives. It is said that early in the mornings just before first light the serpent wanders the land looking for prey. Needless to say, after hearing this first story, I got very little sleep that night and many slithering dreams.

Finally, after a restless night of sleep, I woke to a hot, humid morning. Even though it was only five a.m. you could feel the heat building on the tin roof. A slight breeze rustled the white cotton curtains in my bedroom. But there was no relief from the July heat. My sisters were already up and we went to the chicken coop to gather eggs. It was still dark and sunrise was not yet creeping into the eastern sky. I had the story about the serpent still echoing in my mind so I was being very cautious.  We crept into the chicken coop and the hens started to cackle. As gently as we could we remove the freshly laid eggs. I could feel something lurking in the shadows, slight whispers of noise teasing my mind. The smell of fear was heavy in the air.