Looking Into The Eyes Of Fear

When you stare into the eyes of fear, do you back down, or do you stand tall, not contracting a muscle? When fear comes upon you, do you hide in your own shadow, or walk into the light? Fighting against your government, fighting against your own will to live, fighting yourself, would you be able to do these? These circumstances are not only evident in certain books, but in life as well. Staring down fear is one thing, but to conquer it is another.

Piscine "Pi" Patel. The name jumps to head like a kangaroo jumping to save her joey. Stranded on a boat with a tiger (Richard Parker), a hyena, an orangutan, and a wounded zebra. Most of us would of called it quits and give our life away. But the fighting spirit in the small Pi Patel body was all he needed. His courage and strength to make it 227 days in the middle of the ocean is incredible. It was quoted in the book that the last page of his diary was "I will die." Even though he thought he was going to die, he kept on fighting.  And with the willingness to keep chugging on, he made it through the loss of his family, losing a brother (a blind Chinese man), a seaweed island, and a Bengal tiger, to live on.

Like in Life of Pi, Katniss shows great courage and durability to stay alive in the war, Mockingjay.  With the faces of her friends disappearing in front of her eyes, yet she has the audacity to carry on and fight for her and the countries freedom. She could of laid down right in front of Snow and say, "Kill me now." But she didn't, she stayed alive to fight for those who were still alive or dead, fighting for her sister, Finnick, (etc...) who were killed in the tragic war. She stared into the heart of fear's eyes, and didn't step down, she just got closer.

Besides the fictional characters of Katniss and Pi, My friend Redmon's cousin Claire Wallace knows a little something about conquering fear as well. Claire Wallace, a 14 year old, was diagnosed with cancer in August of 2011.  She faces the fear of not knowing what the medicine will do to her, the fear of dying. She could have thrown in the towel and called it quits. Say "It's over." But she is still fighting strong, trying with all her body's might to defeat the mighty cancer.  And she won't stop until she beats it. Her condition is frightening, but her courage towers over everyone in the world.

When life gives you lemons, do you throw them out? Of course you don't. You squeeze every drop of lemon juice out of that lemon and drink every last sip. When Katniss got handed the role of the Mockingjay, did she back down? When Pi was stranded, did he give up? When Claire got diagnosed, did she raise the white flag? When you face fear eye to eye, will you back down?