Sweet Ignorance

As a kid, I never worried about much at all. I would go about my life touching whatever I wanted to with no fear of germs, drinking from the same straw as my best friend, riding my bike around the neighborhood, and running off from my mom’s sight in a department store.

Sadly, those innocent things can no longer be done without any fear. It seems the world has taken on so many fears of everything. Handy wipes are in every mother’s bag, sharing a straw is strictly prohibited, riding in the neighborhood is no longer safe, nor is running out of a mother’s sight in a store. And, don’t even think of being blood brothers or sisters! Or the “let’s make a pact” handshake where you and your best friend spit on your palm and then shake hands.

It seems that there is a new fear popping up on a daily basis. The latest being the Swine Flu and the fear that capitalism is no longer apart of the American government. Within the last few years, major fears have included Y2K, weapons of mass destruction, Anthrax in your mail, and SARS. Seriously, what is this world coming to? I guess every generation lives through a major fear…I think of all the bomb shelters of the 50’s.

I think it’s good to be aware, but with all the possibilities and realities for evil in this world, it is hard to manage it all. I can manage dealing with fear #1, 2, 3, & 4…but, my brain is on over load for all the warnings of fear #5-1,000! If a person were to listen and be “on guard” for all the fearful “could happens” just in one day’s worth of the news, they would become insane. It makes me wonder if the darkness of this world has almost totally consumed all the light.

I miss the sweet ignorance of childhood, but now understand the importance of awareness. I think the most important thing to remember is that it’s up to me (and each individual) to make this life worth living. A life worth living isn’t full of darkness or fear. So many things could happen…but, what’s worse: living with fear and expecting something bad to happen, or living with an awareness, being free from fear, and living each day to the fullest? I would rather have 1 day of life being free from fear, than live 100 years in darkness. I truly believe that darkness is creeping up trying to engulf any light in this world. It is up to us to push that darkness back…it’s a daily fight.