Take a leap of faith

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. Right? I thought
so….but apparently people fear all kinds of things. Spiders. Tight
spaces. Dark rooms. Psycho killers on the loose. Okay….I understand
those fears. They are legitimate. I’m afraid of most of those things
as well.

But what if someone is afraid of, say, a milk chocolate covered
macadamia nut? Or…a dessert they have never tried before?
Or….flavored popcorn? Is the popcorn going to stalk you down in the
middle of the night and kill you? Will the chocolate covered nut
inflict unimaginable pain on you, or bite you??

The reason I say these silly things is that I am amazed at the number
of people who are absolutely terrified of new foods. Occasionally, when
J and I are lucky, we get goodies from Hawaii sent up to us from
friends or family that bless us with a package. So, yesterday I
brought a couple of ginger chews and today a bag of toffee chocolate
covered macadamia nuts to work. I offered a taste to several people,
well, because they are delicious and fun. And I’m pretty sure that 50%
of the people I offered these treats too turned up their nose and
asked “what is it?” Who cares what it is! Its not poison, I promise.
Its not going to shrivel up your toungue and make your eyes pop out.
Its food. Consumable. Even….tasty. Lots of people eat these things
every year and….they don’t explode. Imagine that?

I think also about the person that will take what I offer them and “save it for later”
only for me to see it sitting in an obscure corner of their office two
months later. What went through their minds when they brought it back
to their desk? I’ll just put this right here and try it when I’m
feeling adventurous? That’s just….odd.

I know that people have the right to eat whatever they want. People
like comfort, and familiarity. I get it. I just don’t agree with it.
Because what happens when you try something new and you decide you
don’t like the texture, or taste? ….Nothing. Nothing happens. You just
gained an experience, and decided that hey, maybe that nut thing isn’t
for you. And that’s okay. But at least you know.

I don’t hope to change the world, one chocolate mac nut at a time. I
just wish that people would sometimes step out onto the branch, gain a
new perspective, and have faith in themselves. I find that people who
are afraid of trying a new food are generally afraid of other things,
too. Going for that new job. Trying a new hobby. Saving up and taking
a trip to somewhere they always wanted to go to. Those people tend to
be the “I wish I could do that, but…” people.  And to me, that’s just
sad.

This year, I hope to not only climb out on that branch, but swing
freely from it. Feel the wind in my hair.  Experience the thrill of
something new! And this goes beyond trying a new snack, of course.
This goes for new hobbies, opportunity’s to better myself,  and
exploration of this great big diverse world we live in….