Marie Grissom

Jose Fiallos
LAE 3333
24 October 2014
Literary Lingering- Mustang Wanted
The Things I would do but for fear
Fear exists for a reason. It saves us. The human race has survived because of
fear. Fear protects us from pain, and from death.
Yet fear has a powerful way of protecting us from life, too. Truly living is
risky business. And often we allow fear to hold us back- for better or for worse.
If I were truly fearless, I would hike the Appalachian Trail. I would backpack
Europe, and climb Mount Everest. I would speak my mind, and I would give my
heart away without hesitation.
In everything there is a balance. No dichotomies. Life is a continuum. The
good balance between fear and freedom is close to impossible to find. Yet I hope,
against all hope, though, that when I die, I can do so with no regrets, knowing that I
never allowed fear to hold me back from living- really living.