One lazy summer morning I was relaxing in my scenic viewing point (a one holer), with a top dutch door swung open, watching the ravens ride the air currents above the canyon that opened out below me. They soared and sailed, swooping over the ridge tops as the canyon walls fell beneath their dizzying descents. Just watching them made my stomach sink. I thought, wouldn’t it be awful to be a bird and be afraid of heights. That morning I walked into the office and made the observation to my secretary. She twinkled and replied, “Like a claustrophobic mole.”

Overcoming the bad cards you get dealt in the game of life is part of character development, be it raven, mole or human.

I’ve known cowboys who were afraid of horses, horses that were afraid of cowboys, cowboys who were afraid of cowgirls, cowgirls who were afraid of cows, cows that were afraid of cow dogs and cow dogs that were afraid of thunder.

I’ve known singers that couldn’t carry a tune, poets that couldn’t rhyme, authors that couldn’t write, and drummers who couldn’t keep a beat. Yet they keep on trying like the tumblebug in the elephant’s cage.

There are many inspiring stories of athletes with less natural ability than their peers, but through persistence, hard work and attitude they excel and often win the blue ribbon. Seabiscuit the racehorse is such a story. Disabled heroes, wounded soldiers, bandaged bull riders, Superman actors and blind tightrope walkers all star in inspiring tales wherein a regular human rises above poverty, abuse, discrimination or tragedy to become a useful citizen and an asset to his fellow man.

Most obstacles and impediments that we encounter in life are beyond our control. How we deal with them depends on our own ability to handle personal fears.

Help in managing these fears can come from many sources; faith in God, family and friends, good insurance, drugs and/or therapy. Often we become better at what we do because of them.

Steve and I were watching ships at sea one afternoon off the California coast. I remarked that I had read that many sailors in the old days couldn’t swim. Steve mulled it over a moment, then said, “Well, the good side is, it probably made them better sailors.”