FEAR

I have very few fears.

I used to be afraid of airbags. I had this unreasonable thought that if I was ever in an accident and the airbag hit me in the face, it would break my glasses. If my glasses were broken, then I would be blind. THAT would be a fate worse than death, having an accident AND being blind. Well, after my experiences of the last few years, I no longer feel like I have to scoot my seat as far back as it will go, because I know being blind isn't the worst thing.


Until.


Put blindness with my other fear--which is having my eyes pecked out by chickens or other random birds, and you have what I fortunately lived through last Friday night.

Mark and I took the grandkids, and were at the Little Buckaroo Rodeo having an enjoyable evening watching the tykes do rodeo. We watched one of my former students ride a sheep, we watched the slowest barrel racing I have ever witnessed in my life, kids putting ribbons on goats and some taking them off, and bunches of cowboys and cowgirls chase pigs around the little arena. The last event (or at least the last one we saw) was the chicken round-up. They put about 30 chickens in the arena with about 40 kids and the free for all began. The chickens FREAKED OUT! They ran everywhere. I was in awe of a little girl who just reached out and grabbed a hen by the tail feathers (I wouldn't do that for SO many reasons!!!) and picked it up. The thing was bigger than she was.

OK...back to my fear. I was busy watching a cowgirl chase a little banty around, when suddenly I heard the sound of wings in my ears and I realized that a big white rooster was attempting a get-away!!! In my face....very close to my eyes!!! Did I mention that it came from the right??? My BLIND side??? I was able to protect myself with my arm, which now has a bruise from the beating.

I was just recovering from the shock of it all when I realize that my grandson had also been pummeled by a crazy member of the poultry family. He ended up with a couple of pecks on his cheek.

But I survived. So did Mikey. However, I don't think we will be going around any hen houses any time soon. Some fears you can conquer by enduring them, others are just validated by having the experience.