There is a term “shut-in” that Wikipedia defines as “a person who is either unwilling or unable to leave his home, often due to disability, or a mental disease”. A conversation I had took me back to some places in my life where I felt an incredible fear about leaving my house. There wasn’t much rhyme or reason for it since I had no physical or mental ailment. I merely suffered from an undefined fear and I would confine myself within the house for long periods of time, avoiding my phones and knocks at my door.
I am not living in that place of fear these days, but I wonder about the different ways I have seen “shut-ins” today. Those that have lost all interaction with live people, but communicate entirely via computer or texts. Even those who seem to be functioning on some level but live inside their televisions. Worse still are those who are locked up within, afraid to venture outside of themselves; fearful of new relationships or adventures.
What a tragic lie “fear” can be…..