From Future learn... Radio Story

His background

January 16, 2017

“The rain is coming down tonight… I am smiling. But why am I smiling, I hate rain. Because with it comes possible lightning and thunder and other things that you cannot see in the dark.  As I think about it I have not liked rain since I was a kid.”

“But why Jackie what is it really about rain that scares you?” The woman said sitting in the chair next to me. “After all rain does help trees, flowers, and grass grow.  And it keeps the dust on windy days from blowing everywhere making it hard to see.”

“Alright several good points. I don’t know what it is about these days that bother me, they just do.”

“Okay so they bother you, but every time it rains you fall apart and call me the next day. Don’t you want to not do that? Don’t you want to…”

“Are you saying you would rather me not call when these days happen?” Jackie said sitting up now looking at the woman.

“No not at all but wouldn’t you rather not have to call because you don’t fear it anymore? You have no idea what a relief it is to face a fear because you have learned to overcome it.” She answered setting her pen on the notepad she had been writing on. 

After a moment of thought Jackie sat back exhaling. “Well yea of course but I don’t see how I can overcome this fear I have of rain.”

‘You can’t see how right now because all you know is fear. But once you start work on conquering it, it will not control you.”  The woman said sounding rather sure that this would be the case. How did she know?

For a moment we just sat in silence. I don’t know why she was quiet but I found myself thinking how nice it would be to overcome this problem. She may have been quiet allowing me time to contemplate whether I wanted to get rid of this fear or not. It would be nice to not be afraid when it rained.

Since I was unaware of just how much time had passed, she spoke up softly so as not to startle me in case I was deep in thought.  “We have 10 more minutes can you share what you have been thinking?

After a moment more I just looked up and into her eyes “what makes you think I was thinking of anything?” 

“You look like you were far away and lost in thought.”

“Oh okay. Well I was just having a conversation with myself about this fear about the rain. How can I be in the line of work I’m in if I can’t leave my house when it threatens to rain.”

She looked back over her notes. “ I can’t find it off hand what do you do for a living?”

“I am an exterminator. I am supposed to eliminate unwanted pests.”

End of assignment