Life without fear

Before I left for Central America I was bombarded with comments such as: "Be Safe," "be careful," and "be smart." Additionally, I had to write a multi-page risk management plan for my university. An interesting assumption is included in all of this -- Going to Guatemala is effectively going into a danger zone. I admit neither the Guatemalan transportation network or downtown Guatemala City are inviting places to spend time, but I also note that life in America has threats of its own.

Take my hometown of Evergreen for example. Evergreen is a middle to upper class mountain town in Colorado. It's one of those places where a sense of safety seems to prevail... where community, not caution, is emphasized.

Yet the site of the Columbine shootings is a half hour from my house in one direction, while the recent shootings in Baily occurred a half hour from my house in the other direction.

Shortly after Columbine happened, an exchange student from Russia was scheduled to arrive at our home. I distinctly remember the phone call we received from her family asking if it was safe for their daughter to continue with the trip. Of course our family recognized Columbine as a single incident and assuaged their worries. Olga spent the happy month of May with us.

But the conclusion is this:
1) Things aren't as scary in other parts of the world as the media would make it seem.
2) While we ought to live wisely, we cannot live in fear... doing so would limit us from even stepping out the front door.