Walking Through a Scary Place
I’m going to tell you how to walk through a scary place. There is much in the world these days which seems dangerous and risky. But we don’t need to move through life with fear, and I’m going to share some advice that I hope will be helpful to you.
I love theme parks but I have always stayed away from the scary Halloween events. I don’t typically like surprise scares and the idea of someone aggressively attacking me with a chainsaw (real or not) seemed terrifying. However, this year I attended both Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, and Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
My husband, Steve, loves Halloween and horror movies. He has always attended these Halloween events and even works as a VIP tour guide at Howl-O-Scream on certain evenings. He wanted me to share this with him, and I agreed to give it a try. Perhaps it would not be what I had imagined, or might be different with him to guide me.
I had a fantastic time at both events! I learned that it could be fun to walk through the haunted houses anticipating a jump scare. It turned out to be fun to laugh at myself, and actually is a healthy way to get some stress out of your life! I knew that the “scare actors” were not allowed to touch me, and I learned where to look for someone to pop out around a corner. I have already progressed to the point where it was a little disappointing if I missed the chance to be scared!
The real test was talking through the “scare zones” in the parks, where I imagined the scare actors to be aggressive and mean. I have lots of history as a young boy being teased and made fun of. Who needs more of that?
As it turned out, I was fine! I learned two important things that I want to share with you.
First, I learned that the scare actors are there to be in on the fun. Once I saw them in action, I realized that they were having fun making others scream and laugh. When I watched them from this perspective, I saw someone trying to bring fun and excitement to people who enjoyed a good scare!
Second, and most importantly, I learned that if I walked through a scary situation with confidence and did not react, they all looked past me. I was not making myself a good victim. Why jump out at the confident man walking with strength through the situation when there was someone else cowering right behind him?
And when the scare actors did surprise me and I jumped or screamed, we all had a good laugh and kept walking. Turns out I didn’t dissolve into tears when startled!
I think this advice is applicable to our lives in general. Moving through the world with confidence and poise has huge benefits. Anyone looking for a victim will move right past the person who radiates strength. And if you’re not feeling strong and confident, just fake it. That works too!
I’m thankful that my training in music, marching band, working out, and martial arts have all contributed to my ability to move through the world with confidence and strength. I’m very thankful to all the great educators and instructors who worked so hard to teach me this. If you’re a teacher, you can bring this to your students. Whether they are finding strength as they hold a position in martial arts or they learn to stand at attention with their horn up even when it hurts, it really does build character and set us up for success.
So stand up tall, be bold, and move through life with grace and power. If this becomes your regular habit, then you can pull from that history in the times when you do feel afraid or unsteady. Last night I walked though scare zones with a smile on my face, having fun with everyone else. Laugh at your fears, work hard to build trust in yourself, and move through life with grace.
Tim Hinton
October 9, 2023
