At some point we all have to face our fears. My fears are pretty garden variety - death and suffering, specifically pain. My meditation teacher Bill Scheffel once said in a class, "You can eat a donut but the fear will still be there." I think he was laughing when he said it, or I was laughing in response, as I couldn't imagine what eating a donut would achieve for me in terms of evading my fear, unless you're like Homer Simpson. Plus this commentary was preceded by great poets articulating their deepest notions of fearfulness. The donut is the fill in the blank - you can take a percoset, have sex, watch television, paint your toenails, call your best friend but ultimately, you still have to go out and meet your destiny sooner or later. I will be so relieved to pass thru this period of my life and to start living a normal life starting now.