Fear and Courage…united we stand divided we fall
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear” Mark Twain
Today I want to discuss the story of Alex and Alex; Alex Hannold and Alex Pretti. Both Alex’s made history “this week” both for two different reasons; connected and disconnected as they were. Both Alex’s symbolize what is possible when we overcome fear with courage, when we act in the face of fear, prepare and push ourselves to find out what we are capable of. Both stories also show the other side of fear, fear acted upon without courage, what could happen and in the case of Alex Pretti, what did happen. Fear is reactive, fear does not prepare, fear does not bring out the best of us, fear stops us in our tracks and kills what is possible. We don’t prepare, and don’t push ourselves to be the best we can be.
All distrust, all contempt, all discrimination, derives from fear, derives from lack of openness, lack of facing the unknown together; and fear is a powerful motivator which can be harnessed for good or bad.
When used to propel us towards what is possible fear, channeled through courage, can propel us to the greatest of heights, heights beyond imagination. We can focus, face, and overcome our fears to create unimaginable feats of human strength, determination and sheer will. Alex Hannold is just that example.
A 40-year-old free-solo climber from Sacramento California, Alex rose to fame quite literally by ascending El Capitan in 2017. What is free soloing? Free soloing is exactly as it sounds, free climbing on one’s own, without ropes, anchors or any gear. This week, Alex Hannold accomplished a historic feat in Taiwan, free soloing Taipei 101 -a 1700ft skyscraper. The world watched while Alex skillfully and carefully climbed 101 floors over 92 minutes without ropes, without anchors and without assistance to summit one of the tallest buildings in the world. All the while Alex had a smile on his face, support of his family, and the world cheering him on to heights few can comprehend. Alex’s climb was awe inspiring. Alex’s climb showed the world what we are capable of as individuals and as a community when we focus and put energy and courage, towards a common goal.
On the opposite end of the earth, we have a story of another Alex, Alex Pretti. Alex Pretti was a 37-year-old intensive care nurse for the Veterans Administration from Green Bay Wisconsin. Pretti graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2011 where he studied nursing. He was a member of the American Federation of Government Employees and a lawful gun owner with no criminal history. From the released reports and current footage, Alex appears to have been in the vicinity of a gathering of protesters, a Constitutional protection provided under the First Amendment, and Pretti was recording ICE officials in Minnesota with his phone. Pretti then became entangled in an altercation while trying to assist a woman whom the ICE official had pushed. In the same footage we can then see an ICE official spray Alex with a deterrent (pepper spray is believed to have been used) and then Alex is tackled to the ground by multiple agents and is eventually shot multiple times. A physician who was present on the scene prior to emergency services arrived, was initially prevented from assisting by immigration agents, but once allowed in, the physician observed at least three bullet wounds in Pretti’s back, one in the upper left chest and one possible wound in the neck. Pretti died at the scene. He exhibited courage in a fearful situation. This writer wonders: What would I have done? What would any of us have done in the same situation?
Two Different Alexes on two different paths on the very same day, with two vastly different outcomes.
What do these two examples say about us as human beings? There are many things to ponder. It is very likely these events will affect all of us in a variety of different ways.
What I am struck by is how as individuals and communities we can, all at the same time, achieve historic triumphs and atrocious tragedies. The slope is slippery and the choices have lasting consequences.
Fear and courage can be looked at as 2 sides of the same coin. However, 1 without the other and unchecked, can have dire consequences. Fear can grip us, fear can overcome us, fear can blind us to who we are and who we can become. Yet fear, when turned to courage, can also inspire us to reach the greatest of heights; heights we never thought possible. It’s a good question to ponder in times like these, no matter the side; is the motive based in fear or courage?
We all have choices, families, allegiances, jobs, missions, passions to pursue and orders to follow; but it is how we choose to behave and how we choose to follow through that will dictate whether we choose the path of fear and destruction or if we channel that fear into connection by means of courage.
I want to encourage each of us on our own terms to think about both Alexes. If you haven’t watched the footage of each, I encourage you to do so. Each situation is frightening to watch for a variety of different reasons. However, for this writer, the courage and triumph of what one man can accomplish is shadowed by the fear of what one man on any level, left unchecked, can destroy.