As we in the United States celebrate Independence Day again, I am moved to take the concept it is built upon and put it under greater scrutiny.

What is it to be free? Here in America, we think we are free because we have civil rights set in place by our forebears, the right to vote for our elected officials and the ability to move within the country as we please.

The Deer in the Headlights

I wasn’t sure what to call this story. You’ll see why in a minute. Most of us are familiar with the phrase in the title—that moment when you freeze, that moment when you’re unable to respond. It’s usually not an actual deer in the road, although sometimes it is, but a form of communication that lets you know that your life won’t be the same.

Fear is that really icky feeling caused by the belief that something or someone will hurt us.  Some fears are justified, like the possibility of getting badly burned if we choose to run into a burning building.  People have been known to die if they run into burning buildings.  Not running into burning buildings is a good way not to get badly burned and/or die.  And some fears aren’t justified,  like the possibility of what might happen if we choose to do something new that’s not life-threatening and still feels scary.

In lieu of a functional brain, I’d begun operating on intuition, not yet understanding that surrendering the idea of thinking my way through problems instead of allowing myself to be guided was the wisest thing I could do.

If you’re looking for logic, you might be wondering what an adult Alaskan Malamute is doing in a public library.  You might be wondering if it’s in accordance with the library regulations to bring string cheese and water to nourish said Alaskan Malamute (and her sister Malamute) during the visit to the library.  You might be wondering why a public library would allow two big, furry, energetic dogs to shed, explore, and possibly incite the fear and allergies of who knows how many children and adults who are scared of big dogs and sensitive to animal dander.