A friend suggested a writing idea, and I decided to explore it. I didn’t take it in the exact direction I think he expected, but it was interesting to write. It’s not a perfect analogy, but it works in a lot of ways.
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There once was someone named Dev who was so afraid of falling into the sky that they always stayed inside, where they felt safe. They knew from others that falling in general was a terrible thing, but this was even worse—falling up would mean falling forever.
Dev knew other people didn’t fall into the sky when they went outside, but that was other people. There was no evidence that Dev would be the same as the other people, though there was no evidence that they wouldn’t, either.
Dev’s friends would come over to their house sometimes to spend time with them. “Come outside,” they would urge, but Dev was too afraid to even look out the window. What if they leaned too far and the glass broke and they fell?
At first, Dev was ashamed to discuss their fear. Didn’t everyone feel similarly? Others were just better at hiding it. Besides, if Dev did admit it, perhaps they’d be forced to confront it, forced to go outside. But gradually, Dev realized that talking about the fear, rather than bottling it up, was helpful. It was scary to consider these ideas, but doing so with close friends and trusted professionals helped Dev to realize that this fear was something different from what most people felt.
Dev gradually made progress—coming closer to the window, then looking out. For a long time, that was enough. They could see the outside, which was so different from before. They didn’t really need to be outside, right?
Dev was afraid to go further, but they also wanted to be able to enjoy time with their friends. After a long time, they decided to consider going outside. The thought filled them with fear, but they were tired of letting the fear of falling dictate their life, of watching friends from a distance as they enjoyed their time outside.
With a lot of help and support, they made their way to the door. Friends surrounded them, and they took a step… but they could tell they were closer to falling up. “Those are just the stairs up to the outside,” said a friend. “Everyone has to go up those to go outside.”
Dev took a step back inside and wondered if it was worth it. And… that’s where they are now. Wondering if it’s worth it, worth the risk and the pain. Is the reward of being outside worth confronting that fear? They’ve already come so far and they look out windows now—can’t that be enough?