I just looked it up.
The word comes from the late Middle English (Medieval Latin) root meaning “bold.”
Yes, “audacity” also means rude or disrespectful behavior. But let’s stick with the first definition: a willingness to take bold risks.
Have I been a very bold risk-taker? Have you?
I believe the answer for both of us is likely the same:
Rarely.
Can you name 5 times in your life that you have taken very bold risks? (Risks can be either “positive” or “negative.”)
Here are 5 very bold risks that come to my mind:
• As a 10-year-old kid, I saw Geoffrey crossing over the subway tracks, and I did the same!
• As an approximately 10-year-old kid, I jumped off the high diving board – feet first!
• As a 13-year-old kid, I got on a subway alone after a police officer “assured me” that a man I believed was following me would not be on my subway train!
• As a young adult, in 1973, I traveled by train, alone, from Berlin to Warsaw, with visions of the Mission Impossible bad guys dragging me off the train, locking me up, and throwing away the key!
• As an adult, I drank from a carton of milk that had recently expired! That’s a joke. But, it reminds me of something I did many times, which you might consider a bold risk. From the age of eight, I actually got up on stage and performed before a live audience. Bold risk? Not as I see it.
And that’s the nub. My bold risk taking is likely not yours — and yours is likely not mine. Perhaps that’s what makes us different — I mean really different from each other. To be sure, we all likely take many not-so-very-bold risks each day. We might hold that door for the person who might not say “Thank you.” We might tell our friend that he has something on his nose, not knowing how he might respond.
The very bold risks are probably quite rare. Except for people whose job it is to come into harm’s way. They might not have a choice.
So, I suggest to you that every time you stop for a second and think — “Should I do that?” “Should I take that risk?” — that’s one time to evaluate who you are – and who you would like to be. The other time to “evaluate” is after the chance has gone by. Are you sorry you didn’t hold that door? Or sorry you didn’t tell your friend about that thing on his nose?
We might be able to become “better people” by evaluating those little audacities (not-so-bold risks) that come our way in life.
Robert Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com
