On Not Being Afraid Of Bold Creatures

THE DOCTOR: “That creature, or whatever it is, will be getting bolder now. It’s seen this primitive technology. It’s had time to calculate the strength of its enemies. I think we’re in terrible trouble.”

LEELA: “Do not be afraid, Doctor. If what you say is true, we must arm ourselves and post guards.”


THE DOCTOR: “What about the others? They’ll think we’re mad if we start talking about creatures from outer space.”

LEELA: “But we’re from space. We’re not of this Earth.”

THE DOCTOR: “Shh! Don’t tell them that, whatever you do. What do you mean—‘Do not be afraid’?”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


I love that stuff. That’s from, of course, the old version of the British TV show “Doctor Who.” That’s from an episode during the Tom Baker years, when his companion was ‘Leela,’ an episode called, “The Horror of Fang Rock.” It’s one of my favorite episodes and I’ve posted about it a couple of times before.

“The Whole Earth As The Village?”

On Having A Little Fever (And Stuff)


The Doctor is correct to be worried. By the end of the episode everybody except the Doctor and Leela will be dead, killed by the bold creature.

But the Doctor isn’t happy that he let Leela know he was worried for a moment. And he’s even more not happy that Leela took it upon herself to tell him not to be afraid. Then Leela’s just shocked and maybe a little chagrinned to realize that she did tell the Doctor not to be afraid.


*


We’re all surrounded
by bold and hungry creatures
and they will eat us

they’ll hunt and eat us
rip us out of this soft world
chew and swallow us

but it’s easier
to make things that must get made
if we remember

although they’ll eat us
we can work until they do
if we’re not afraid.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


When The Light Is All Reflections

Motion Beyond The Fox Point

Weather (At The Fox Point)


Dinosaurs And Robots And Vicki’s Smile


The Built World Redux—Art And Souvenir

“They’re going eat us, rip us out of this soft world.”