Michelle Fregeau Writing Assignment

Michelle Fregeau

COMM 1715

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” This quote, to me, means we may allow our lives to be controlled by fear or fueled by passion; so often in life, the things we crave most are the most frightening, yet they hold the greatest reward. Perhaps this is because in the event of failure, the sense of loss is so much greater. Fear is a personal battle; it does not need to be rational to feel real. I have always yearned for the ability to fly, and to gain an education beyond high school, both of which felt very frightening to me. In recent years I have finally found the courage to do both as I came to the realization that dreams do not come true in the absence of fear, but in the face of it. I have always craved the ability to fly. There was little I was ever sure about as a young girl, but I was sure I wanted to feel the air beneath me, the freedom of taking flight. Discouragement was all I ever received in return for sharing my passion with those I loved. I told myself that my desire to become a skydiver was a frivolous, unrealistic goal and looked elsewhere for inspiration. My daughter was a year old when I finally asked myself, “What example do I want to set for her?” I could play it safe, listening to doubt, or live passionately, facing the disapproval of others and the fear within myself. A few weeks later, I was crouched in the open door of a Cessna 206, the interior held together by duct tape, nothing but 10,500ft of air between me and Earth. Fear gripped every part of my body; it squeezed my lungs and set my heart racing. At this point, sixty jumps later, this part of the experience is much the same. My body screams no, and I leap. Leap into the space, the nothingness below, and I mentally brace myself for the falling. Yet every time, a shocking realization comes over me, and I know with certainty that finally, I am right where I belong; I am flying.

Michelle Fregeau

COMM 1715

It has been my experience that as we fight off one fear, our opponent becomes a little weaker. As a child I dreamed of becoming a paramedic. I had a strong desire to help people in need and to possess a certain set of skills that made me capable of that. School has evoked an irrational fear in me for many years. The demise of my high school education came at a time in life filled with loneliness and depression and since then I have related those feelings to education. After chasing my dream of flight, I was filled with a strength I did not feel before. To some it may seem small but enrolling in the Pre-Health Science program was a huge step for me, a conscious acknowledgement of my fear and the decision to seek more from my life. The enriching experiences I have gained by facing fear in the name of passion have been invaluable. From skydiving: the friendships I have gained, the mental strength I have built, the overwhelming feeling of true freedom. From my education: a sense of purpose, direction and capability, the knowledge that I may one day use my skills to help someone else. When I read the quote, “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire,” these are the experiences that come to mind; these are the things that set my soul on fire.