Courage

I asked Merril what I could write about today.  I had thought maybe she could do the dictionary thing.  But she suggested I write about courage.
I thought that was an interesting one, so I looked up its definition. “the ability to do something that frightens one; bravery:” (Oxford).  “Courage (also called bravery or valour) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation.” (Wikipedia).  I thought Wikipedia had another really interesting take on courage. “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point...”
For me when I imagine courage I think of valour in battle, or saving lives at sea, or descending a mountain from a helicopter to recue people. 
Yet I have had another thought this morning.  It is based on what I think life is most.  That is the everyday.  The unspectacular.  It seems to me most of life is like that.  There are peaks and troughs but mostly it is a relatively smooth unspectacular road.
Courage can be exhibited in the mundane in my opinion and it differs for different people.  What one may consider courageous can be ho hum to another.  For example I think gardening when I knew there was a snake around was courageous for me.  I really do not like snakes.  But I continued (using something long that would put distance between me and anything I came across) and found him.  My response on seeing him was anything but courageous but in my mind it was wise.  Same went for the big spider I trapped and put outside.
Since my stroke it seems some things require courage that did not previously.  I find myself hesitant to do some things, yet I do them.  To me that is a courageous act.  For most it would be nothing.  But not for me.
But it is the Wikipedia thought that I find most appropriate.  “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point…”  To me there are many acts which could be defined as courage.  I think facing ones fears and doing something positive is courageous.
I heard of one lady that did nothing but complain that she could not do anything because of the fears that confronted her.  It was suggested “why not do it scared?”
I like that.  To get anywhere I need to stare down fear.  It may not be something others would readily define as a courageous act.  But for me it may be because it is something that has confronted and perhaps defeated me in the past.  Getting to the next level may take courage.