“When facing worry fear and doubt, run in circles, scream and shout!” – unknown

When I was living in The Hague (back in 1970 – I was still in high school then), my family and I would take weekend trips every opportunity we got. I mean, there are so many different countries (and cultures) all packed together within driving distance that every weekend was a wonderful new adventure!

One time though, my Dad took a two-week vacation and we took a sortof “great circle” route from The Hague, through the Black Forest area of Germany,  back and forth between Austria and France, then Luxemborg (yes,  it really is that small!), on down to Rome, back up through Paris, and finally Belgium. It was quite a long trip in a car, but oh, so totally worth it!

I remember one dreary gray day, even though it was late spring, at the higher altitudes in Austria the weather was still snowy and roads were muddy with frozen snow and ice. We were on our way to France and drove all morning in this yucky stuff, only to arrive, oddly enough, at a train station.

“Huh?” I wondered, ”what was this all about?” (Being in the back seat, I usually didn’t care so much WHERE we were going, just as long as it was “somewhere interesting”.)

Well, it turns out there’s a long tunnel connecting Austria and France, and we were going to travel in a completely different way for a change. Instead of driving the car through the tunnel, we drove the car onto a ferry-train! Now this certainly fitted my definition of “something interesting”!

We remained in our car, and when the train started moving it was a lot like sitting on one of those merry-go-round bench seats. Surely you’ve done that, right? (Yes, I know, and don’t call you Shirley!) Although your immediate surroundings (the car) aren’t moving, the world outside is. Very funny feeling. After a few minutes, we saw the approaching tunnel, and I remember wondering what would it be like on the other side. (Gee, what a great metaphor, right? OK, hold that thought.)

Plunging into the tunnel was like diving into an inkpot; I mean, there was nothing! I would have thought there would be an occasional light or something, but nope – it was pitch black outside the car windows (not to mention pretty dark in the car, too!) It was a bit disconcerting at first, but Mom, the picture of calm, promptly switched on the dome light and started preparing sandwiches, and that’s where we ate our lunch, in a tunnel from Austria to France, easy as you please!

After about an hour, the train began slowing down, and suddenly we were out in the open again. As well as being instantly blinded for a moment, I was really struck by the amazing contrast in scenery (sound of dull thud). While on the Austrian side, everything was dull, overcast, and covered in muddy snow . The predominant colors were mainly gray and white, with the dark asphalt roadway thrown in for variety. Pretty depressing, really.

Ah, but on the French side, it was stupendous! Bright sunshine, green mountainsides covered in green grass and trees, colorful flowers everywhere – it literally lifted the soul after that long hour of darkness. What a relief to be out of the winter, and back into spring!

All it took was a trip through a long, dark tunnel.

Interesting, don’t you think, how often life is like that? I mean, some “big thing” comes up, and suddenly the future is hidden by fear and doubt. You can’t see where you’re going, and you find yourself enshrouded in what could best be described as a winter of the soul. The only way to get out of it is to move forward, even though you might not see clearly where you’re going.

It’s a lot like that long, dark tunnel.

What will the other side be like, you wonder. Will it be better? Worse? Will I like it? What if I don’t? The mind fills up with a host of similar thoughts, if you let it. But after a time, you’ll emerge into daylight, it’ll all be past, and everything will be changed.

Now, it’s true that worry, doubt and fear will certainly happen in our lives. Just remember this, my friends; these things might come to pass, but they don’t have to come to stay.