We are traveling through Europe as I write these blogs and one of the most frequent questions I am getting these days is, “Aren’t you afraid?” I think the reason behind this question is the terrorist attacks we have seen in France and England over the last years on television.
There are some countries I would not travel to right now. The Sudan, especially the Darfur region, is not a place where I would feel safe. Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are all off the table for me right now. But just because a tragedy takes place in a country does not mean that the country is no longer safe. There are over two million people who live in Paris. The terrorist attack in November of 2015 killed 130 victims. That is tragic. But it does not mean Paris is unsafe. I think our 24 hour news cycle and the replaying of events over and over again tends to make us more fearful. I think some people are left feeling that the only safe place they can truly be is in their own bed with the covers over their head. That is not a big life way to live.
When we are out of the country we do the same things we do when we are in Atlanta. We keep our eyes open. We remember not everyone has good intentions. We stay aware always of people who pick pockets. We don’t walk through sketchy parts of town alone. That is all. We know that bad things happen from time to time. They happen in our hometown and they happen in world cities. We know something bad could happen to us while we are traveling but it also could happen to us while we are at home. Bad stuff happening is not our focus. We have to sometimes say no to fear so we can live the big life we feel moved to live. We don’t take foolish risks, but we also don’t let an attitude of misinformed fear shut us down. I hope you can learn to do the same thing. Don’t let fear keep you from traveling and seeing some of the beautiful places this world has waiting just for you.
