Life in fear not worth living

While working in Joplin, Mo., this summer, I saw destruction beyond anything I had imagined possible. These sorts of things happen throughout the world, but never so close to home. As I stood on the ridge where I was working, I could see the path the tornado took — a gaping mile-wide hole. There should have been houses, businesses and people going about their everyday lives, but instead, there were ambulances, search teams, barricades and national guardsmen.

The year 2011 has been rough — the tsunami in Japan, the seemingly endless barrage of severe weather in the United States and the drought in East Africa, which has required aid for 3.7 million people in Somalia alone, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The human race takes it in stride. We keep rebuilding. We continue to survive through will power and ingenuity, despite the number of things that could end our lives in an instant. In a strange contradiction to our natural will to survive, we have created something monstrous, a culture of fear upon which entire industries have been built to predict which disaster lies around the corner.

After the tornado in Joplin, meteorologists throughout the Midwest basically were shouting, "You're all going to die!" whenever a raincloud approached. Our current obsession — the lowering of the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA+ — has turned the stock market into a roller coaster ride. Economists predicting our imminent financial doom are not so much analyzing as fueling the downward spiral.

It seems like every other day our corporate news gods hand us something new and shiny to be afraid of, and the general public eats it up. Swine Flu, Mad Cow Disease, West Nile Virus, impending economic implosion, global warming and terrorism have made many people incredibly wealthy, including defense companies, insurance agencies and medical companies, because of the fear our media can generate.

Where does it stop? When do people figure out that freak occurrences and disasters are a part of life? Based on our current path, it seems that within 10 years we'll be walking around in hazmat suits to protect ourselves from catching a cold. Maybe everybody will stop moving completely, lest they stub a toe or cut their finger, leading to deadly infection. "The top story this hour, Walking: The Silent Killer."

We've come to a crossroads of sorts, and it's time we decide whether to hide from life because of the possibility something bad could happen or cope with the risks that come with driving to the grocery store or shaking hands with someone who has a cold. Call it bad luck, karma or whatever you'd like, but I don't plan to live in my Y2K bunker because there was a case of salmonella at the Taco Bell down the street.

I'm not saying everyone should become skydiving enthusiasts or drive 100 mph down the street for the hell of it, but there has to be a point when we realize how ridiculous things have become. My aunt carries wet wipes with her and wipes the door handles and utensils in restaurants. People used to call that crazy, but these days it's just being cautious "because you never know what's out there."

I for one will continue ordering my burgers cooked rare and smoking a cigar when the mood takes me because whatever being or event that created humans gave us something special, and that something is too short to be spent worrying about what we have to lose. Let's turn off the news and enjoy what is, not what might be, because the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.  

Connor Riley is a senior history major from St. Louis, Mo.