A fearless year of fresh starts...
Yes, the Lunar New Year
Came a bit early this year
But I’m on my regular schedule,
So please accept my
Well-wishes for this coming year
Even though they’re arriving
A few days late.
This snake is a
Blue Komodo Island Viper
AKA Trimeresurus Insularis...
Native to Komodo Island,
Indonesia.
Traditionally a Snake year
Is expected to be one
Of positive transformation
As people shed their old skins…
All negative energy from the past…
And slither into new beginnings.
...
Like many in my world
I never felt attracted to snakes.
In fact, because I loved all animals
As a girl and always
Stopped to pet them
On my way to and from school.
My mum was afraid I wouldn’t
Respect the danger
They represented, so
She asked my dad
To take me to the reptile house
At the San Antonio Zoo.
She couldn’t take me there herself
Because she was
Too afraid of snakes
To even look at them
Behind glass.
The purpose was to ensure
I knew what a snake was…
So she could teach me
To steer clear
And
TO BE AFRAID.
VERY AFRAID.
My mum spent the rest
Of my childhood
Sharing her
Abject horror of snakes.
And
The result was
A thoroughly ingrained
Fear that brought on
Screaming nightmares
From movies
And even pictures
In magazines.
...
Fast forward to 2015
When I med KC Blair
Of Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The day we met he asked me,
“What are you afraid of?”
And I replied, without hesitation
“Snakes!”
“But,” I told him,
“I don’t encounter any snakes
“In my daily life, so
“All I have to do
“Is close my eyes in movies.
“It’s never been a hardship.”
And KC said
“Holding such a strong fear
“Can affect your health
“And wellbeing
“In unexpected ways.”
So KC offered to help
Rid me of this
Well-intentioned
But irrational fear
Using something called
Tapping.
No, not dancing this time.
He guided me through
A process where
I tapped my fingers
On specific places
On my hands and face.
It’s called Thought Field Therapy
And apparently
There are many adherents
Everywhere, everywhere.
Yes, it’s indeed
As woo-woo as it sounds.
He took me through
The short process twice.
And since that day in 2015
I have had no fear of snakes.
None at all.
Of course, I still don’t
Run into them in my daily life
But I can watch movies,
And see pictures
And even YouTube videos
And love how beautiful
And graceful
And colourful
They are.
...
People use tapping
For more than snakes.
Other fears, of course,
Like fear of flying
Or fear of water,
Plus
Anxiety, depression,
Pain…
The list goes on.
I’m guessing tapping
Probably works
On just about anything.
Also, it’s fast
And free.
I’ve put a little
How-to JPG here.
If you want to learn more
These are the two
Best-known books.
But my little JPG
Is truly enough.
You can always
Ask me...
You don’t have
To believe it.
You just notice
Over time that
Your old skin
Is gone
And your new one
Feels great
...
KC’s son told me
That KC passed
About three years ago.
I am saddened to hear…
But happy to be offering
This to you in his memory.
Happy New Year to us all!
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course
