I hate the ocean. I’m terrified of it. Waves do not calm me, they’re borderline a threat. It’s not the water the scares me of course, it’s the things in it. The creatures I know about, and especially the ones I don’t. Much like someone afraid of the dark isn’t afraid of the fact that they can’t see, they’re afraid of what they can’t see. The unknown. In some way or another, I think everyone’s fears circle back to the unknown. Some uncertainty. I can’t think of anything that I know all about that i’d be afraid of. Then again I don’t know all about anything, really.
I say all that to say that I think the best way to face the unknown is to just head straight into it, like a boat into a storm. If a fear of the known is the reason for things like racism and xenophobia, especially against immigrants, then I think that just facing the fear would do so much good. I will admit, I am a hypocrite in this regard. I personally don’t plan on going swimming anytime soon… though I might take a bite out of the sandwich that’s been in the fridge for a while.
