Running For My Life (plus a cool video)
ByThere is a really cool video called Dare-Change that has been kicking around the web for a while that brings me to tears every time I see it, because it reminds me of something from my child hood; a powerful event that made me the neighborhood hero for one summer and shaped the way I deal with fear and challenges to this day.
I’m curious how you deal with fear and challenge?
Do you step away from it- or as in my story below; run for your life- or do you take a stand and meet it head on?
Here’s my story of running for my life-
It was a beautiful summer afternoon in 1978.
I was 13 years old and I was setting out to do my paper route. Somehow I had managed to convince a bunch of the kids in my neighborhood to come with me. There were 8 of us laughing and screaming and having a grand old time.
At the beginning of my route, there was one long stretch of road that we considered to be the danger zone.
There was a scary house up a long driveway with a crazy old man living in it. He had a bunch of mean attack dogs penned up in the yard. They would bark and howl whenever I would walk by.
It was scary!! Our parents warned us to stay away from that house because there were all kinds of stories about the dogs attacking people!
As the gang of us approached the house, we quieted down our laughing and shouting and tried to sneak by unnoticed, but it didn’t work! The dogs started barking and howling, and next thing you know they were running down the long driveway after us!!
“Holy Shit!!!!”
We all looked at each other in panic and someone yelled RUN!!!!
All 8 of us took off in different directions.
I was running for my life!!
I sprinted down the road faster than I’d ever run before. I glanced back and saw a big German Shepard coming after me; barking and gaining fast! I was petrified! I knew that if that dog caught me I would be dead meat.
I was getting panicky; the vicious beast was right behind me! He was nipping at my heals.
Then something switched over inside of me. I was still scared but I knew that running was not the answer.
I need to take a stand!
I stopped dead in my tracks and spun around and screamed right in the dogs face- “Get away from me!!”
I remember the dog looking me right in the eye, with a surprised look on his face. I prepared to be attacked, but the dog turned tail and ran away!
WOW!!! I was still alive and not bleeding! Whoot-hoot!!
Can I tell you how powerful I felt!!
Within the next minute or so the owner of the dogs drove up and called them all home. The ordeal was over!
The rest of the kids emerged from their hiding paces one by one in awe of my bravery and power! I was the hero for the rest of that summer.
From then on I stood up to my fear and any challenges that came along. I learned take a stand and meet it head on.
This came in handy later on in life when I was a bouncer at a cool Boston nightclub, but that is a different story( ask me and I’ll tell you about it sometime).
Here’s the video-bet you can’t make it through without tearing up!
Did you get through without crying?
I’d love to hear YOUR stories of dealing with challenge and fear in the comments below.
11 Comments
January 10th, 2025 at 11:13 am
Fantastic site. VERY proud of you and your wonderful work!
January 10th, 2025 at 11:40 am
Thanks Julie.
January 10th, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Awesome video — I hadn’t seen it before. And bully for you, standing up for yourself and winning! Great story…with a lesson for life!
January 10th, 2025 at 3:58 pm
Glad you like it Joan!
January 11th, 2025 at 6:10 pm
Ok, so I didn’t get teary… but that was an amazing video… And what a great story of standing up to the dog. That can be freaking terrifying!!!!
So this is interesting too because I was talking with Erin (Bowe) earlier today about fear & sometimes lately how I just do whatever it is that I’m afraid of ONLY BECAUSE I’m afraid to…. Like there’s just something that comes over me that says “DO IT”.
And I do.
Doesn’t happen all the time, but damn… when it does?
Magicks!
<3
Angel´s last [type] ..mirror, mirror: part 2
January 11th, 2025 at 6:48 pm
My favorite part of this story is where you turned around and actually confronted the dog. That really resonates to me and is such a transitional moment-to turn and face your fear, not keep running from it, but actually turn around, get to know it, see what happens. And yes! The feeling of power, of standing in YOUR power that comes on the heels of that-so transformative!
Bri Saussy´s last [type] ..Shuffling the deck: The Lovers
January 11th, 2025 at 7:33 pm
I loved the video Leah. Thanks for sharing a life shifting moment. In contemplating your question, many moments of facing my fear come to mind, this one wants to be shared.
I was once a the tip of an Inca citadel, and was invited to cross a threshold into a triangular platform. Only one more inch and I could fall into the deep abyss. My body started to tremble and for the first time I understood that knee shaking can be oh so real. I looked like a cartoon. I laugh remembering but that was an existential moment in which I faced my fear, I crossed the threshold and stood up, knee trembling and all, facing the immense beauty of the landscape. A site to behold on the Inca Trail of Cuzco, Peru.
January 11th, 2025 at 8:52 pm
OMG. Without tears, yes — but not without goosebumps! Thanks for bringing back a great video clip, and for the story about standing up to the dog. I’m standing at the edge of one of these fear moments this week, so your post is really special.
January 11th, 2025 at 9:44 pm
I love that video… I love the way it shows the stepping back, and then the barreling forward.
I don’t know how I react to fear; I have two very distinct methods. If it’s an internal fear (self-doubt) I tend to want to stick my head in the sand or hide in my bed. But when it’s an external issue, well, then I’m a fighter. I’ll stand up to anyone (I can’t tell you how much trouble I got into in school for this). If you push me, I’ll push you back and you better believe you’ll be the one on your butt.
I’m much better about that now that I’m an adult, but oh the stories I could tell!
Yours,
Megan
Megan Potter´s last [type] ..I Weigh 235lbs & I’m NOT Fat
January 12th, 2025 at 12:06 am
Leah, I got so motivated to persevere! Like you, I tend to do one of two things: either I run for my life – or I consider the challenge and I step up to it with confidence that: what won’t kill me will only make me stronger!
Your story was so inspiring! I love how others looked at you as a hero after you faced your challenge. I bet you inspired someone in that group to step up to their own fears! AWESOME!
Nana´s last [type] ..Beauty – Defined!
January 13th, 2025 at 5:12 pm
I didn’t cry, I was inspired. What an exciting video. Thanks for sharing it – I hadn’t seen it before. Thank you for sharing your story as well, and how you screamed at the mean dogs! Yay for you! I was always afraid of big dogs, and German Shepherds specifically. I remember encountering one on the way home from school when I was about 11. He wasn’t chasing me, just sitting there, but I was scared to death, not knowing how to get around him. I slowly passed him and it all ended well. My current fears have more to do with making ends meet and working through difficult transactions than with battling dogs. Many people are struggling financially these days, and I’ve learned that money doesn’t define me or anyone else. I’ve also learned to take one step at a time, and one day at a time. “Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.” We are all stronger than we know.