Nothing is simple in a fearful world
RECENT conversations have me thinking how complicated our lives and our world have become.
In the aftermath of the atrocities on mainland Europe, theories abound about minimising our chances at being victims of a terrorist attack. Despite the fact that the likelihood of us being killed when driving to the local shop is greater, the notion of terrorism consumes us. One theory is to stay on the security side for more of the inevitable time spent at airports. It is a good theory and it makes sense. The communal areas of airports are a free for all and anyone can enter with a bomb on board; at least one the security side we are that bit safer. At least we hope we are.
Then I had a conversation with a young mother concerned with paedophilia. Although she concedes her anxiety is disproportionate, she cannot help but dwell on the opportunism of this particular evil; it occupies her thoughts, dictates her behaviour and appears to impinge on the enjoyment of her children’s innocence.
Still through another conversation, I saw another side of the equation; an older man on a recent holiday whilst walking the beach, was approached by a young child asking him to fix his water gun. In a different era it would have been the most natural thing in the world for him to bend down, look at the thing, fix it and squirt it in a triumphant gesture at being able to help out. He did none of those things. Instead he advised the child to return to his parents with the broken toy. His response to the child’s plea went against his own nature but was in full accordance with the nature of our new world.
And that is my point; fear pits us against our natural character. Ironically we are always being told to live in the moment and treasure it as we might not be here tomorrow. Yet the dictates of our new existence makes this impossible because we are too busy safeguarding our tomorrows and the tomorrows of our children.
So we rush our airport goodbyes and get security side as quickly as possible. Yet in doing so have we not already become victims of terrorism without an explosive in sight? In looking to floating adults in public places as potential predators, are we not now victims of paedophilia without ever being targeted? And in equating the requests of children to potential traps for false allegations, are we not surrendering to our own fears and giving them full reign?
Airports should be for our disposal, not avoidance. Being a young mother should be about cherishing innocence not dreading evil and a child looking for help on a crowded beach should be just that.
Yet the ‘shoulds’ of this world are not the realities of this world. It is sad. Sadder still however is the uncomfortable truth that the realities of this world have long since been around and should have been seen sooner – but weren’t.
Yes, it is complicated - this world and our lives.