SWITCHBACKS // From Fear to Fearless
by Sarah Maiellano. Image by Hannah Taylor
EXCERPT //
I remember being about 12 and out for a walk with my family when I saw something that panicked me. I jumped onto my mom’s back, screaming, and insisted that she carry me—piggyback style—until we were safe at home. Strange behavior for a preteen. What was so scary? A friendly neighborhood dog.
My fear of dogs really started years earlier when one attacked me and my dad. My dad put his old Philly street-fighting skills to use and saved us. He ended up with a tetanus shot; the canine was fine, and I spent the next decade terrified of dogs.
Size, gender, age, temperament—I didn’t discriminate when it came to man’s alleged best friend. My childhood best friend’s family had a gentle Collie, but they knew to lock her in a bedroom during my frequent visits. I never even petted the sweet old girl.
Out in the world, my immediate reaction to seeing a dog down the block was to dart into the street—traffic be damned. My mom developed a quick reflex to grab my arm before I could flee. This went on for years.
How, then, just after college, did I end up with my own 85-pound, four-legged fluffball?
It started with a boy.
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