| I agree in part - it's no good to waste your life being afraid to do the things you would enjoy for fear of accidents or death or anything else. Someone I know who was afraid of flying finally came to the realization that everyone has their time, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. She feels a lot less nervous about flying now.
Mostly I feel the same way, although I do have a few reservations. Some activites have a much higher incidence of injury and death than others. Bungie (sp?) jumping, for example. And driving any sort of vehicle on American roads. There are many other equally enjoyable activites that have a lower injury rate, such as skydiving and firewalking.
I guess what I'm getting at is that while I agree that one should live one's life to the fullest, one has to balance the associated risks, and make choices along the way. Everyone will choose to do certain things and to not do other things. I choose to avoid certain activites in favor of other activites, but I don't think I am avoiding life, or being alive at all.
And I definitely am not one of those "I'm afraid to get a boo-boo, so the government should make everyone wear body armor to go to the store" nutjobs. I'm a Darwinian Libertarian, and would prefer that the "hey - watch this!" part of the gene pool jacka** themselves out of existence. It saddens me that such an idiot took a good man out of my life, and the lives of his family, but he was aware of the risks, and took what precautions he could. The fact that those precautions weren't enough in his case is no reason for anyone to restrict my right to take the same risks. And I would, if there were fewer people out there who I think would be affected by the loss of me.
To make a long story short (Too late!) . . . I hope I didn't muddle my own point too badly. :) |
