Thursday, July 28, 2005
Fearing the Lizard
I have spent much of my life in fear of things. Mainly the unknown, or the mysterious. However, one thing I have learned throughout the years, is that, facing our fears (namely, owning up to them) is the only way to demolish them. It's really amazing how small a thing we fear really is when we take a second look at it.
Every morning, after I get dressed and pour myself a pot of coffee, I open the blinds in the living room. I have discovered that on most days, we have an outdoor pet that I would like to call "Lizzy". She is a bright green lizard about 4 inches long that walks along the fence on our patio. Whenever she stops to bask in the sunlight, she flares out the flap of skin underneath her neck which is bright pink. She is a beautiful creature, and I love to watch her hop from one slat of the fence to another, and then stop and roll her big, bug eyes around as she watches me back.
Karim has also discovered Lizzy. Unfortunately, someone in his youth has told him that all lizards are poisonous and will cause spots to come up on your skin if they crawl on you. (We have the same myth in America about frogs and warts). As a result of this myth, Karim does not appreciate poor Lizzy as I do, and would just as soon find her flattened under his shoe as watch her hop around the fence, if only he could force himself to get close enough to do it. I have warned him that killing the only pet we are going to have in this apartment would be unwise at best, and he has relented. He will not go out on the patio to smoke if she is out there and smokes his cigarettes inside. (I'm not sure which is worse, actually, the warts or the secondhand smoke.) Somehow, I think that Lizzy probably feels the same way about him as he feels about her, and I'm sure she doesn't want people warts. If the door were to be opened, she would scurry for safety and never venture near enough to him to find out if he is poisonous or not.
There is a point to this, now where did I put it? Oh, yes...because Karim believes someone's fallacy about poisonous lizards (which, to be honest, might be true in some parts of the world, but not about the house lizards of Egypt or America) he does not fully appreciate the beauty of Lizzy. I know that Lizzy is not poisonous, and if I were fast enough, I'd catch her to show my husband, to his great horror, I have no doubt, that I will not get spots. I think she is lovely, and because of my knowledge, I do not fear entering the patio. (If Lizzy were a black widow spider, however, I would probably vacate the apartment.)
"Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength." Daniel 10:19
It is only the Evil One that suggests to you the fear of his votaries; be ye not afraid of them, but fear Me, if ye have Faith. Let not those grieve thee, who rush headlong into unbelief: Not the least harm will they do to Allah; Allah's plan is that He will give them no portion in the Hereafter, but a severe punishment. Aal-E-Imran 175-6
Every morning, after I get dressed and pour myself a pot of coffee, I open the blinds in the living room. I have discovered that on most days, we have an outdoor pet that I would like to call "Lizzy". She is a bright green lizard about 4 inches long that walks along the fence on our patio. Whenever she stops to bask in the sunlight, she flares out the flap of skin underneath her neck which is bright pink. She is a beautiful creature, and I love to watch her hop from one slat of the fence to another, and then stop and roll her big, bug eyes around as she watches me back.
Karim has also discovered Lizzy. Unfortunately, someone in his youth has told him that all lizards are poisonous and will cause spots to come up on your skin if they crawl on you. (We have the same myth in America about frogs and warts). As a result of this myth, Karim does not appreciate poor Lizzy as I do, and would just as soon find her flattened under his shoe as watch her hop around the fence, if only he could force himself to get close enough to do it. I have warned him that killing the only pet we are going to have in this apartment would be unwise at best, and he has relented. He will not go out on the patio to smoke if she is out there and smokes his cigarettes inside. (I'm not sure which is worse, actually, the warts or the secondhand smoke.) Somehow, I think that Lizzy probably feels the same way about him as he feels about her, and I'm sure she doesn't want people warts. If the door were to be opened, she would scurry for safety and never venture near enough to him to find out if he is poisonous or not.
There is a point to this, now where did I put it? Oh, yes...because Karim believes someone's fallacy about poisonous lizards (which, to be honest, might be true in some parts of the world, but not about the house lizards of Egypt or America) he does not fully appreciate the beauty of Lizzy. I know that Lizzy is not poisonous, and if I were fast enough, I'd catch her to show my husband, to his great horror, I have no doubt, that I will not get spots. I think she is lovely, and because of my knowledge, I do not fear entering the patio. (If Lizzy were a black widow spider, however, I would probably vacate the apartment.)
"Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed," he said. "Peace! Be strong now; be strong." When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, "Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength." Daniel 10:19
It is only the Evil One that suggests to you the fear of his votaries; be ye not afraid of them, but fear Me, if ye have Faith. Let not those grieve thee, who rush headlong into unbelief: Not the least harm will they do to Allah; Allah's plan is that He will give them no portion in the Hereafter, but a severe punishment. Aal-E-Imran 175-6
