There’s something about curling up with a good book on a rainy Sunday morning -- when you know you have nowhere you have to be and nothing you have to do. It’s wonderfully relaxing and soothing to the soul and, yesterday, I found myself enjoying such a morning. As I was home alone, the house was completely quiet except for the sound of the wind outside. I’d been curled up on the living room couch for an hour or more, enjoying the quiet, the solitude, and the book I was reading. I was deeply relaxed and feeling very Sunday-Zen. It occurred to me to wonder about the time, and as I glanced up at the clock on the wall, something grabbed my attention and broke the calm of the day for me. Out of the corner of my eye, there right above my head on the ceiling, was a HUGE centipede!
Now for those of you who might not be aware, I have certain limits in regards to insects, rodents and reptiles. Though I’m not terribly bothered by your average house spider, I am completely freaked out by anything more unusual. Crickets frighten me (they jump really fast and high), mice completely give me the creeps and I honestly can’t even talk about snakes. But centipedes fall somewhere in the middle for me –they are slimy, and crawly, and unpredictable because you can’t tell which is their head and which is their tail. So, as I saw this large centipede perched just over my head, you might think my initial reaction may have been to run and hide. I was tempted. But I am proud to tell you that I overcame my fear in that moment of doubt...and saved the day.
I flew off the couch in immediate ninja mode. I don’t think the centipede (who for purposes of identification, we will just call “Brutus” from here forward) was even aware that he had been spotted. Immediately, I conducted a status check to ensure my own safety as I frantically ran my fingers through my hair, hoping beyond all measure that Brutus was indeed a loner, and that he didn’t have a partner who had possibly fallen in my hair. Once I established that my hair was centipede free, I had to quickly strategize an attack. With stealthlike movements, I backed out of the living room in order to find myself an appropriate weapon. The mace I keep near my bed seemed like overkill so I went with a clean “paper towel” approach. Some might consider this to be a risky choice and accuse me of being over-confident, but I had made my decision and there would be no second-guessing.
I grabbed a stack of paper towels and then warily glanced back towards the living room. Was my opponent aware of his imminent demise? For I was certain, that only one of us would come out of this confrontation alive….and it wasn’t going to be Brutus.
Stalking like a lioness protecting her cubs, I slowly approached Brutus realizing that my immediate challenge would be that I was seriously height-disadvantaged. I couldn’t risk the possibility of alerting Brutus to danger by rearranging furniture so I needed to make do by crawling on the couch arm and stretching to reach the ceiling. The Gods were in my favor as I discovered that I had the physical capacity to reach just far enough to complete the deed before me. As I adjusted my paper towel for the most effective kill, Brutus never left my field of view out of the corner of my eye. I was careful about how I brandished my weapon. If I used too many layers, I would risk the loss of much needed manual dexterity. If I used too few layers, there was risk that I might actually feel Brutus (and that was an option I couldn’t consider). If I didn’t have the length of the fold just right, Brutus could prove himself to be a worthy opponent by clinging to a part of the towel that I hadn’t intended. So many things to consider. When I felt like I had the paper towel positioned to be an effective extension of my own hand, I took a deep breath and moved in for the kill.
I’m not going to lie to you. I wasn’t brave. I wasn’t courageous. I hesitated and wondered if I would have the ability to do what needed to be done. I questioned my own centipede knowledge. For example, how quickly can these things move? What if I go in for the kill, and Brutus makes a break for it? Or what if he goes completely offensive and leaps from the ceiling in a direct attack on my upturned face. I had to push these thoughts aside as they were distracting me from my purpose. There was a job to be done, there was nobody else to do it, it was him….or me.
Another deep breath and I made my move. I lunged for Brutus completely covering his entire 3” multi-legged slithery body with my Bounty 4X paper towel. If you had been in the room, you might have heard me actually scream just a bit as I did this but since you weren’t in the room, perhaps I made no sound? For just a second, I froze as I reassessed the situation. Did I have him covered under the paper towel? Was there any chance that he had escaped? Did he make the leap and land somewhere on my arm or in my hair where I had not yet discovered that I had been outwitted? As all these doubts raged through my mind, I completed the swipe and made a visual confirmation that Brutus was no more.
I leaped from the couch to dispose of the evidence. I gave myself a mental high five and heard the crowds cheer for my success! I was triumphant! Roused from a most peaceful moment, I had reacted quickly and with a vengeance. I was ‘Theresa, the Centipede Warrior”.
That’s how things are. One moment, you can be sitting enjoying peace and the next moment, you might have to deal with something you hadn’t anticipated. What I’ve learned about how quickly moments can change is this. You have what you need to meet the moment. You do what has to be done. You may feel like you are lacking or not up to the challenge. But whatever you do, however you do it, it is the right thing and you are the champion of that moment. There are times we need strength to deal with our silly little fears and times we need more strength to deal with our very real fears. But believe that you do have the strength that you need, and if you ever need help dealing with a scary centipede, let me know – I'll bring the paper towels.
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