How far do I let myself be pushed by fear? The question occurred to me as I did some research into airport security. I was surprised to see how much fear rules us when it comes to airplanes. We allow ourselves to be pushed and pushed and almost beg for rights, freedom, and privacy to be stolen from us, all because we are afraid that something might happen when we're in the air. The irony is, the same people who fret and worry about airplane security don't even blink when they get into a car - when they buckle their little babies in and drive them around. Cars are infinitely more dangerous than airplanes, yet they are completely oblivious.
I have let fear dictate my driving, my public parenting, the way I interact with people. But when it comes to airplanes, I'm not afraid. I am, however, nervous. I don't like doing new things for the first time. I don't like not knowing what to expect. I don't like how there are no set in stone rules and regulations - it all depends on which airport you're at, who's on shift, what kind of day the TSA employee is having, how consumed by power the screener is. Even the most basic rules differ, sometimes drastically, and apparently not every employee is aware of the official regulations posted by the TSA.
New security measures are coming into play, and I am sickened by the amount of people reporting feelings of violation, fear, self-hate, sexual assault, and trauma because of these new attempts to keep us safe from what might happen. I am horrified that many of them, far too many of them, merely accept this abuse because there's the slightest chance that maybe it will keep that bad thing that might happen from happening.
I am horrified because I can relate, and I'm sick of it.
I understand the domination fear can have in life. It's something hard to see at the time quite often, yet when we realize it, it seems so obvious. The hard part is choosing not to live by fear!
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