Example #1 I didn’t learn to swim until 5th or 6th grade. At that time, the curriculum at the public school I attended included swimming lessons for a month or so each year. We were bused to the community pool.
I have a memory of standing on the end of a diving board sobbing with one of the instructors in the water encouraging me to jump. I really can’t remember how they got me that far, probably because at that point in my life adults were to be obeyed. Eventually I jumped and they made me do it again and again, thinking that would get me past my fear.
It’s a miracle really, that I am not afraid to be in the water. In fact, I love being able to be in the water as long as I can put my feet down and stand. I can swim laps as long as I do a backstroke or don’t put my face in the water. I still have absolutely no desire to jump in to a body of water (although I did once again in college as part of a sailing class).
Example #2 I am afraid of matches. I have a feeling this stems from a very early understanding that fire can burn down houses. One of my first memories includes seeing the charcoal footprint left by a house that had burned to the ground during the night.
I can bring myself to light a wooden match because I love candles and have made myself practice. I would use a paper match if it was life or death. If I had a wood stove, it would be used because I love them and would push myself past what is an irrational fear.
I am wondering...
is it good to push people past comfort zones? What do we learn when we are pushed into trying something new? Who is in charge of deciding when an adult or child should be pushed into something that may be good for them but is uncomfortable or scary? These are some of the questions I am pondering right now.
Fear of failure is part of this. But failure can mean different things to different people and in different situations. Failure can mean life or death, potential injury, or judgment by others.
Other times failure it is just a learning tool. It says, “go another way.” Failure is not always a bad thing but an opportunity. This is part of creativity for me.
I recently finished reading Messy, The Power of Disorder to Transform our Lives by Tim Harford and this is one of the questions that has lingered for me. In general, it was a thought provoking book that I really enjoyed reading.
...
The Liminal Scarf (a place outside of comfort zones)
Lots of gray stripes for gray Sunday mornings.
I should have had a stripe to mark snowy Sunday mornings, this is the fourth I think.
I've lost count.
...
Comfort foods
Loosely based on this recipe for Samosa Sheppard's Pie (101 Cookbooks).
I will make this again and again.
For this version I substituted spinach for the peas in the recipe and used a slightly different mix of spices.
It did look like Sheppard's pie when it came out of the oven.
And for Grace especially...
Potato pizza.
For this version I used mashed potatoes (extra from the Sheppard's pie), kale, walnuts, and Teleme Cheese (thank you Granny!). Usually I put some type of blue cheese on potato pizza but had the Teleme to use up. No red sauce for this, just a drizzle of olive oil on the top after it came out of the oven.
I first had potatoes on pizza in Italy. The potatoes were sliced very thinly and laid across the top. It's good like that too.
I've been experimenting with starting pizza on the stove top, using a cast iron pan, and then finishing in the oven (idea found here at Root Simple). I think I've got it down and am ready for guests...