To laugh

I climbed the hill beside our house this morning, through poison oak and wild sage and undergrowth, risking snakes and possum holes, and possible death by tumbling arse over tit, on a fearless uphill journey with the spotteds, and found this waiting for me at home, from a wise man:

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out to others is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To place your ideas, your dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But risks must be taken,
because the greatest hazard in life is to do nothing.
The person who risks nothing,
does nothing, has nothing, and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave,
they forfeited their freedom.
Only the person who risks can be free.

-- Leo F. Buscaglia (also attributed to various other people)