Turning back

Last night, while I was walking my dog, a car backfired. It was a long way off and barely audible. But my dog took notice and his anxiety went to work.

Instead of our usual route, he took an immediate hard turn, pulling me straight back to the house. I tried to coax him on, reassuring him it was safe. But he had made up his mind: we were headed back home.

The experience reminded me of how sometimes, just a little hint of fear can turn us toward home where it’s safe — and where we can hide.

A rejected paper. A lukewarm reception. A critical review. A reactionless post.

These can easily short-circuit our confidence.

But sometimes the noise is just the noise.

Sometimes, we need to tell ourselves, “We can keep going. We’re safe. We don’t need to turn back.”