Terrified

Yup, too scary for this kid.

As my roommates sit watching the Halloween classic, "Hocus Pocus" I shocked them all my sharing that I had never seen the movie. Well, I had seen the first ten minutes in 3rd grade at a friend's party, but decided it was too scary for me and spent the rest of the movie hiding anywhere away from the TV. Yeah, I'm a scardy cat.

I've always been afraid of quite a few things, from spiders to heights to dark trees and my brothers jumping out at me. It stems from the overactive imagination of my childhood. The same mind that helped me create endless adventures a Laura Ingalls Wilder or Jo March, also pictured scary murderers or terrifying monsters in the dark around our farm. To this day, I can't sleep after a scary movie unless I watch something funny first.

The best way to calm my fears was to actively take part in eliminating the cause of them, whether squishing a bug or shining a flashlight into every dark corner. As I've grown older some of my fears have changed. While I am still wary of heights and my siblings, I'm now worried and fear some aspects of the future.

If I'm honest my biggest fear is change for the worse. That the world of the future won't hold the same opportunities for future generations that I am able to enjoy now. The solution to this problem is the same as my childhood fears, do something about it! I choose to speak out about the issues that matter most, whether its politics, society, or agriculture, the best way to eliminate my fear is to take an active role. Staying involved means I can make certain the future is bright, and my fears don't become reality.

'till the cows come home,
Ellie