On Courage
Even cowardly dogs do what they must when they must.
Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.
On Courage
Don’t be a punk. That’s frequently heard in my household when one of my children, one of you, wants to do something or needs to do something but cannot come up with the gumption to get it started or get it done. That’s it. That’s all I have to say. Don’t be a punk.
On occasion I will switch it up and say to stop being a punk. Variations on the same theme keep me entertained after all. It isn’t difficult to understand why I must say it, either. We live in a safety culture. The entertainment and the stories we take in are all about keeping safe, mitigating risk, being cautious.
That’s all well and good until it isn’t. Let’s apply being safe to everything, you know, for funsies. I know you want to go to Target but let me tell you, the amount of traffic deaths every year is frightening. Going to the beach would be a great time but sun exposure has the potential to cause skin cancer.
That isn’t even mentioning those pesky sharks that have teeth and like to bite. Damn bitey sharks always swimming in our salty waterways. Speaking of water, were you aware that’s the number one cause of drowning? Come to think of it, you could die by drinking water.
If you drink too much all at once it will kill you. Best not drink any then. Drowning can happen in any liquid so stay away from everything that sloshes while in a container, this includes cats.
That’s all quite asinine. Safety is not nor should it ever have been the highest priority when you’re attempting to live. We aren’t here to exist. Safety allows us to exist. The proper implementation balanced with proper ignoring of safety is what allows us to live. I enjoy living and I want to see you’re able to when I am no longer around.
So stop worrying so much. Start living or I’m going to follow you around and call you a punk. Take chances so you can learn the proper ones to take in the future. Be incautious so you can experience what that’s like now. Do it now so your first experience doesn’t come during a time of crisis and danger.
Those tend to happen around the middle of your life, in case you were curious. I am around now to push you when you feel you should stop but I cannot be around forever. I can’t even be around for the majority of your life, really. If you stay close by, and God willing you do, I am happy to push you when you need it. That’s not reasonable though nor is it likely.
There is an entire world out there calling your name. It’s waiting on you to come and see the wonders it holds and the experience it brings. Even close by I cannot always be there when it’s truly necessary.
I cannot time it perfectly so I’m never absent when courage really counts. So develop it and develop it quickly. If you won’t on your own I will be forced to keep calling you a punk until you do.
I don’t do it out of malice but out of love and concern. You’re my punk and I love you. I need you to be my brave punk, my rock star. I need you to be my champion as you go out into the world.
Be the person that takes on the challenges life brings courageously, unflinchingly. I will even allow you to say you developed that all by yourself, no help from me.
I care little for credit, I just need it done.
Be brave, little ones, and live.
Hi there,
I am truly grateful for your support and interest in my writing.
It's been an amazing journey with my 'Dad Explains' Substack, and I hope you're finding value in the insights I share as I navigate this beautiful, often confusing, thing we call life.
I genuinely want my work to reach as many people as possible, and to make that happen, I've introduced a paid subscription option.
Your subscription not only supports the work, but it also gives you access to exclusive content, discussions, and more - a closer look at the world through the lens of a dad trying to figure things out.
However, I understand that not everyone might be in a position to upgrade to a paid subscription at this moment.
If you're facing financial constraints, or there's another reason why you can't subscribe just yet, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Write to me at dad@dadexplains.life, and I'll add you on as a paid subscriber for a bit for free.
Remember, we're all in this together. Let's continue to learn, grow, and navigate this journey together.
Best,
Andrew Ussery
Dad