Hurricane of Fear
Have you noticed how fear demands your immediate attention?
Manipulation through fear by people in positions of authority pervades
every aspect of our culture. Media use fear to get ratings. Politicians use
fear to get votes. Corporations use fear to sell products. Government
uses fear to influence public opinion, i.e. Saddam Hussein has weapons
of mass destruction … “It’s a slam dunk!”
In the thirty-five years my parents lived in Florida they experienced
numerous deadly hurricanes. What did they do without up-to-the-minute
satellites and experts telling them what to do? They listened to weather
reports, trusted their instincts and did what was necessary to survive.
Accustomed to thinking for themselves, previous generations relied on
their ingenuity to make creative intelligent decisions.
In March I was at a Bed and Breakfast in Key West. While chatting with
the friendly desk clerk I asked him whether he was among the
thousands of individuals who evacuated the Keys last year in advance
of Hurricane Wilma. He told me he’s lived in the Keys for twenty-five
years and thus far the weather hasn’t driven him out of his house, which
is on concrete stilts. Nevertheless, he does have a ‘just-in-case’ plan.
Even with good leadership, government is limited in what it can do to
protect citizens at home. In the case of the ultimate catastrophe, the
federal government’s first priority is not we the people. It is the survival of
the country’s leaders and lawmakers. We cannot rely on government for
protection from monumental natural disasters, plagues and terrorist
attacks. Government can provide advice such as the emergency “Go
Bag” suggestion that followed the September 11 terrorist attack. Most
people probably have forgotten about “Go Bags.” In a season of quiet,
Americans have a tendency towards complacency. But hey, the man in
the red cape is not going to fly to the rescue of Metropolis. Survival
depends on savvy individuals who are prepared. Think of it as an
extended camping trip that includes the pet pooch.
Too often we don’t realize we have a choice. Either we can react to fear
or we can think for ourselves and make intelligent decisions. In Neale
Donald Walsch’s “Conversations With God, Book 2,” he makes an
interesting comparison between Reactive and Creative: “Notice they are
the same word. Only the ‘C’ has been moved! When you ‘C’ things
correctly, you become Creative, rather than Reactive.”
This may sound a bit contrived. Maybe you challenge his books or think
he’s a phony. What difference does it make? Doesn’t your life involve a
series of choices? Following like sheep is easy but dumb. Being
creative requires some clear independent thinking.
President Franklin Roosevelt led the American people into and out of
war by reminding them that fear is a state of mind which only begets
more fear. Anything can happen. The stock market will head
south. It frequently does. Interest rates will rise. They often do. There will
be a deadly plague. Been there too. Thousands will die from terrorist
bombs. They already have. Living in constant fear of what might
happen is insane.
Imaginative independent thinking people like Thomas Edison or Bill
Gates for example, have made America the most creative nation on
earth. But if we allow government and corporations to think for us, we
are nothing but lemmings; we destroy the democracy our enlightened
Founding Fathers created, and we fail the millions of Americans who
died for it.
The number of people that cannot locate a renowned country on a map,
or name their congressional representatives is embarrassing. Yet they
know exactly how Tom and Katie delivered their baby and who is the
next American Idol. I am a lighthearted person. Without carefree, fun
loving people and experiences in my life I’d be bored and boring. But
there’s a difference between the fairytale of celebrity living, and living
the fairytale of celebrity.
Subliminally and overtly, we are being conditioned to believe the
falsehoods and fairytales of the “American Dream.” The fairytale of
Santa Claus, the fairytale of the Mayflower, the pilgrims and the first
Thanksgiving; the fairytale of the way the West was won, the fairytale of
why we went to war in Iraq, even the fairytale of the fairytale wedding
next time you see the clip of Princess Diana walking down the aisle,
take a good look at the poor girl’s face.
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under
heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3.1. Now I believe in this truth. But it is the
choices we make in life that determine the season.
“Simplicity-Courage-Humor-Soul”®
A writer/editor, I work with one client at a time, beginner or pro, for a cost
effective solution to your writing and editing needs. Visit me at
http://www.susanscharfman.com
