Fear not, for life is worth living

Sigh. Folks can’t even have a little bit of peace. No matter where they go.

This was one of the thoughts running through my subconscious during a July 28 trip to Hot Springs on business (feature story research and interviews) mixed with pleasure (the feature story subjects, and the enjoyment they’ve provided people for going on 40 years).

Trying to make our way north on Central Avenue in the city’s historic district around 1:30 that afternoon, we were stopped by multiple police cars blocking a goodly portion of said street. We managed to turn off and find an alternate route to our destination, where we asked someone what was going on. There was a shooting, he told us. About four and a half hours later, the barricade was still up. We ended up taking Arkansas 7 to Benton, where we got on Interstate 30 and headed home. Later we heard about the man on Central Avenue who shot the police officer, who shot him.

And we heard about other shootings that weekend, in Little Rock of course as well as at festivals in California and New York. In the midst of other World Gone Wild news that has become not the exception, but the rule.

With all that’s been going on in the world today — and in our own backyards — it wouldn’t be surprising if the following wasn’t going on in our heads:

Wanna go to the beach. Oh wait. There are too many aggressive sharks and flesh-eating bacteria and killer waves and rampant seaweed.

Wouldn’t mind heading to the coast for some R&R. Oh, dang, it’s hurricane season.

Never mind going to the Dominican Republic. It’s hurricane season AND people are being attacked and dying mysteriously.

Vegas, maybe? Nah, grasshopper invasion.

I know, California. Well, the fires are out but there’s been a little too much shakin’ goin’ on.

Hong Kong? Nope. Protesters. Europe? Killer heat. Puerto Rico? Oh … never mind.

Wouldn’t want to go anywhere and stay in a motel anyway. Might be a snake that shows up in my bed in the morning, and I don’t mean the two-legged kind.

And forget about cruising. Too many people falling overboard lately. I might be next.

Don’t want to go to the park. Some woman may call the cops on me because I look suspicious to her.

Hey, I want to go to the festival! Oh wait. There may be a shooter.

Could have a celebration at the local gathering spot! Well, the balcony may not hold. And there may be a shooter.

Maybe I should just go to church instead. But there may be a shooter.

I’ll just head to the office. Oh,

wait a minute. Ditto.

Well, let me scroll through my social media page. Oh never mind. Probably be too many political rants.

Well, shoot, I’ll just hole up, go nowhere and not do a thing. But what if a tornado or floods come?!

So there’s really nowhere to run and nowhere to have fun and nowhere to even get business done … without danger. Looks like there’s every reason to be afraid and just fade into the shade.

But, no. We can’t let all the crazy-bad things happening in the world keep us living in fear … prevent us from not only enjoying life, but doing our own unique thing to make the world a better place.

Stuff like buying up all a Girl Scout troop’s cookies so that they won’t have to stand out in the cold to sell them.

Or buying out the entire inventory of a closing shoe store so schoolchildren can have free shoes or giving schoolchildren free school supplies.

Or reviving someone’s unresponsive infant. Or helping form a human chain to rescue swimmers in distress.

Or, heck, just paying the bill of the person who’s next in the checkout line, even if it doesn’t make any headlines.

And praying for the safety of those we know … and those we don’t.

Because we’ve got to put aside any what-if fears, and help create some peace. Wherever we go.