[safeasmilk]

FEAR...strong word.
Freezing in a dangerous situation.
I was 12/13 and going out my back door on a sunny summer day.As I went down the steps I looked up at my neighbors yard,maybe 50 feet away.Mrs.R was at the barbeque ,tending to the grill.As I watched,she poured some fluid from a jar onto the grill.The whole grill exploded in flame,engulfing Mrs.R.She raised the flaming jar of fluid over her head and tossed it behind her ,not realizing her daughter was there.
Whooosh,they were both in flames,screaming.
I could not move.Thank God the husband came flying out his back door,ripped Mrs.R's blouse off and screamed at her to roll.He then jumped on his daughter and rolled her,smothering the flames.
I saw it all,yet I froze.I could not believe what I was seeing.I froze.
Never again.I made an effort to not let fear take control.Action,quick and purposeful,yet not mindless,must be taken.
As I have gotten older I have been in fear-inducing situations at the CIVILIAN level.I have not frozen,and I consider that to be a direct result of mental preparedness,not that you look at every situation and evaluate the danger potential,but the mental mantra of action,not inertia.Knowing that you can and will act.
My .02