The Journey began as I toddled around the yard
The Great Beast lumbered toward me.
Black. Huge. Unpredictable. Dangerous.
Then it was gone.
Just like that.

What remained, the Memory, grew.
And soon became a Fear.
A Fear of Dogs.
All. Dogs.
The thing about a fear is, it is not rational.
Whilst it may be based in something very real,
caution perhaps
It manifests.
The fear overwhelms the warning
No longer rational
I recoiled from even the sweetest of dogs.

With the help of a friend,
I came to tolerate dogs.
I learned to care for them.
The fear was gone, but a repulsion remained.
I could not touch.
I pushed myself.
Another friend showed me how to Accept a dog.
Then one day.
The repulsion was gone.
What remained was a Future.
One without fear.
One with joy.
One with Understanding.
I understood ‘dog people’.
Fear and Repulsion were replaced
With Understanding
and
with
Love.

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