Fear and hatred have been recent themes around the world. Every time the news comes on it seems there's a new crisis, a new reason to be afraid, another reason to hide under the covers and fear walking out your front door. Whether it's terror attacks, local shootings or extreme weather—which really shouldn't be a shock since it occurs almost every year—fear is everywhere.
Too many times I see the same questions being asked. What is wrong with the world? Why us? Why do we have to live in a world of fear and hatred? The truth is we don't have to live that way. We might think we do but believe it or not we do have another choice. We can stop being afraid of our own shadows and start standing up to fear.
Fear is like a parasite, it feeds off its host and the more it feeds the stronger it gets. Hatred is the exact same way. The more you feed into it the worse it gets. A parasite is difficult to get rid of, it takes time, medications and trips to the doctor. Fear and hatred surprisingly enough are easier to get rid of. All that needs to be done is to fight back. As I hear the news and read the reports so many people sound like they've given up hope, which is the last thing that needs to be given up on.
However, those same postings made me think of something else. It reminded me of the 2000 Disney film "Dinosaur." For those for whom it's been awhile or never saw the film, the movie centers on a dinosaur named Aladar who lived on the island of lemurs and considers them his family. When a meteor strike destroys their island, Aladar and his family are forced to move and eventually join another herd looking for a new home—all while avoiding carnivores such as raptors and the dreaded Carnotaurus.
One scene in particular comes to mind for me. Just after Aladar finds and convinces the rest of the herd to follow him instead of their leader Kron to a safer route to the new valley, they are cornered by a Carnotaurus. As fear and panic ensue Aladar realizes they have two options: scatter in fear or fight. He warns them that scattering will lead to the Carnotaurus picking them off and killing most of the herd but if they stand together the Carnotaurus will be outmatched.
In the climatic scene Aladar and the other dinosaurs manage to stand against the Carnotaurus as a group, confusing it as he cannot pick off an individual than if they had scattered. Here is the scene:
The scene is a strong reminder that just because things look bad it doesn't mean we can't fight back. The Carnotaurus represents the fear and hatred we face, Kron represents those who give in and let fear win and Aladar and the herd represent us, the ones who have had enough and don't want this to continue. In a world full of Carnotaurus and Krons, be the Aladar. Be the one to fight back, to stand up against the fear and hate. Cliche as it sounds hope,faith and love are much stronger, you just have to use it.
Be the Aladar.
