Courage is found in unlikely places. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
When I was working on my Bachelor of Education, I was lucky enough to do one of my teaching placements at an International School in Singapore. It was my first (and only) time in Asia. I remember getting off of the plane and feeling like I had landed on Mars. The heat was astonishing, and that coupled with the jet lag made everything feel even more foreign than it truly was.
I was also lucky because I got to stay with a very old friend. She and her boyfriend made sure that I had a wonderful experience. But – perhaps sadly – one of my most vivid memories is a strange one.
They decided that we needed to go to Chinatown for dinner. They both had obviously been there many times, so they left me to decide on what to eat while they both bought their favourites. Honestly? It was one of the scariest moments of my life. There were dead cooked things hanging everywhere, stalls were filled with piles of – what? I didn’t know. Different colours, different smells, different languages all tangled around me and I felt the beginnings of a panic attack. I had no idea what to do.
Then, there in the middle of the crazy, stood a very small Chinese man. He looked up at me, smiled, and said, “chicken rice?” I could have hugged him. It turns out he spoke very little other english, but boy did know enough to take care of frightened tourists.
I think about that man a lot. To me, he was an angel. Others would have passed right by him as they excitedly chose something from one of the stalls. Flying on my own to Singapore? Easy. Choosing a mystery meat to eat? Terrifying.
I thought about this again yesterday when we were in San Isidro. A man we know recommended a place for us to go for lunch. It turned out to be inside a covered market. The noise, the smells, the smallness of the space, all felt very overwhelming, but we stayed. We were definitely the only non-locals in the place. We were all staring up at the menu when a man came over – smiled – and looked at me and said, “pollo y vegetales?” Translation: chicken and vegetables? Turns out he didn’t speak very much english either, but again, he knew just what to say.
And he sure made me grin: I’ve come a long way, but it’s nice to know that the angels are still looking after me.
Bravery. Something you may think is easy, I may find terrifying. It doesn’t make my brave any less brave. Getting on a plane, taking a chance, creating the thing, getting out of bed, loving, leaving, staying, dancing, speaking, taking the leap, facing the spider – it all matters, because it’s all brave.
I have learned that if you step into your bravery, the angels appear.
Even if it is just to offer you some chicken.
xo
